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Work With People Who Tell You

Work With People Who Tell You "Go to Hell"

By : vishab veer singh rana, Relationship Executive, policybazaar.com
Industry : Management & Strategy Consulting Functional Area : Getting Started
Keywords :

leadership.

Activity:  8 comments  166 views  last activity : 07 06 2010 20:18:04 +0000
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That’s right. If someone hasn’t told you to “go to hell” in the last few months, something is probably wrong. Maybe not literally telling you to “go to hell” but you need people around you who have the courage to do so when all their options have been exhausted. You have to have people around you with the courage to stop you in your tracks.

You need people to challenge your ideas, test them, and make sure they are good. If not, you’ll be responsible for heading up a bunch of mediocre projects because no one in your office had the courage to tell you a poster-board presentation just wasn’t good enough. Why do you think the last Star Wars movies were dismal affairs? No one told George Lucas that his ideas were stale; instead he was allowed to create a sea of nonsensical characters.

If your idea faces little resistance it will automatically be weaker than the idea would be if it had that been debated. Conversation and criticisms help people refine, build, and strengthen their ideas so that the ideas will be able to stand independently once launched. Obstacles are only put in your path to test the strength of your ideas and your ambitions. Don’t let detours get you down– make them help you.

Before you present an idea to a group of people it’s essential that you detect any flaws in your argument so you know what the critics will say before they even think it.  Thinking your ideas through help you respond to your critics or fix any problems that did exist. It can be a trying process since it’s your idea and you may look at it like a mother looks at her trouble-making son and only see positives. Just don’t do it. You must, in William Faulkner’s words, “kill your darlings” in order to see your idea, your project, clearly. When you think your project is ready to leave its cradle–let objections and criticisms improve your idea.

Next time you are putting together a team make sure you take on at least one person who will be bold enough to poke holes in your ideas and plans. Make sure that someone can tell you to “go to hell.” The criticisms you receive might be superficial or trite, but the act of taking a break and thinking about every possible weakness will strengthen your ideas.

Well, maybe not “go to hell”, that might be over the top, but you get the idea–sometimes it’s important to be stopped in your tracks and while it’s important in making sure you produce it is also important in keeping you on the right track pragmatically and morally. Sometimes when you slip you must have people around you to audit what you do in order to make sure you do it right within acceptable parameters.

  • source:
Samuel Bacharach is the McKelvey-Grant Professor of Labor Management at Cornell University’s ILR School. He is the Director of ILR’s New York City based Institute for Workplace Studies as well as the Director of the Smithers Institute and the director of the New York City-based Master of Professional Studies. He blogs at: http://bacharachblog.com/
 Top Comment : sujit Kumar   | 06 16 2009 19:02:13 +0000
Nindak niyare rakhiye Aangan kuti chawayn. The cticiser should be kept with yourself.. In fact he only tells truth about you and paves way for you to direct yourself.
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8 comments on "Work With People Who Tell You "Go to Hell""
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  Commented by  Viktor Stephen, COO, Business Mashup/Partner Get.Next.Job    | 07 04 2009 06:06:37 +0000
Rating : +1  
However, I do agree that you need such a person on your team because, this person will hold you accountable and provide momentum on your journey to success.
  Commented by  Viktor Stephen, COO, Business Mashup/Partner Get.Next.Job    | 07 04 2009 05:57:33 +0000
Rating : +1  
Generally speaking, being susceptible to the opinion of other people could be a recipe for failure. Zig Ziglar said to not be a SNIOP. That means not be Susceptible to the Negative Influence of Other People. I couldn't agree more.

But Kevin Hogan doesn't want you to be a SOOP either. That's someone who is Susceptible to Opinions of Other People in general. YOU need to determine whose opinions matter to you and whose don't. In fact, this is one of the most important factors in success. 

If all you do is hang out with other people who want to zen out, you are screwed. Support is important but far more important is being able to tell most of the world to go to hell while you go on your life journey that you have designed.  

You don't live alone on the planet, but you sure don't have to live in fear of other 
people's opinion of you.

If you let the VALUE you place on the opinions of other people get in your way, you've screwed up big time and the fact is that until you see this, you won't accomplish anything.

As Shakespeare said, "To Thine own Self be true." If you're not, there are difficult roads ahead to success.

When someone says to you "Go to hell", first determine if his opinion is important to you. If it isn't ignore him; if it is 'go figure'.
  Commented by  Makrand Bhave, Sales Promotion Manager, XYZ    | 06 18 2009 04:55:51 +0000
Rating : +1  
"Go To Hell" is an advice that you need to take in the spirit that it is meant in!

You need to be very progressive in mind to be able to fathom the poison that it creates and MOVE FORWARD! You see on a platform of a virtual to project something is not difficult at all. In fact such platforms are perfect for charades!! But I am willing to bet that NONE of us here would be able to take that kind of a statement in its truest sense!! I mean it... It includes me too!!

Prima facie its not easy to deal with a GO TO HELL!! I believe in what Ms. Kaladeen has written
  Commented by  Mallaya Pandravada, Project Leader/Managing Consultant, Sheladia Associates Inc    | 06 17 2009 09:16:01 +0000
Rating : +1  
One needs gut's feeling to work like that.I like the idea.
  Commented by  K Satish Kumar, Client Servicing Executive, TBWA\TEQUILA    | 06 17 2009 05:29:25 +0000
Rating : +1  
Unless and until one see mirror or some one show him/her the mirror.  No one in this world would be able to understand how beautiful or ugly he/she is.
  Commented by  sachin, FINANCE ANALYST    | 06 17 2009 05:07:38 +0000
Rating : +1  
nice insight...but it is not correct "GO TO HELL" is not every where.
  Commented by  Devi Kaladeen, Audit Manager, Health Sector Development Unit    | 06 17 2009 04:24:58 +0000
Rating : +2  
Thanks for the referral. However, if my organisation tells me to go to hell they will be in deep trouble. I am the head of the Audit Department and Advisor to the Executive Director of my organisation and this is one area your boss don't tell you or even direct you to do your work. This is a very independent function.
  Commented by  sujit, PGP Student, Batch of 2010, IIM Kozhikode    | 06 16 2009 19:02:13 +0000
Rating : +2  
Nindak niyare rakhiye Aangan kuti chawayn. The cticiser should be kept with yourself.. In fact he only tells truth about you and paves way for you to direct yourself.
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