…and yes, we literally mean fight!  But not in the Edward Norton Fight Club sort of way or how editing a staff memo to the Council or Board can exhaust you as if you had actually been in a physical fight.  The fight that we are implying, and which is described in a recent Harvard Business Review article, is the type of fight where enough dissenting thought has been injected into an issue to jump start the creative juices of those involved.  

Really, fighting can have this effect?  The answer is yes, “within an acceptable range of competition and tension, science shows, dissent will fire up more of an individual’s brain, stimulating more pathways and engaging more creative centers.  In short, more of what makes people unique, innovative, and passionate is available for use.”(2)  

eePulse, which is a consultancy firm measuring employee engagement, found that the single greatest predictor of poor company performance is complacency.  Not product, market, or environment – but complacency.  

How great for us in local government since the number one predicator of poor performance is actually in our control!  Deciding whether we promote an organization of complacency or an organization that strikes a balance between dissent and positive energy is our choice.  For those of you who are still skeptical, think back to Jim Collins’ Good to Great, one of the 4 stages that an organization works through is executing disciplined thought, and a fundamental principle of disciplined thought is confronting the brutal facts.  Collins shared story after story describing heated board room debates, CEO’s yelling…clearly dissent and fighting was and is still present inside the walls of great companies.(1)  

So as we are all still playing in the sandbox, how do we know which fights to pick?  Consider the following 3 criteria: (2)

1.  Is it a Game Changer?  Ask yourself, by picking this fight is there the potential to make a fundamental change in how we do business?  Is there lasting value or improvement to be seen in this fight?
    
2.  Does it look to the future?  Does your organization spend as much time fighting about why something is happening to apportion blame/recognition as it does looking toward the future and what is possible?  When it comes to looking at the future, think about what you want to invest and what returns you want to see.  

3.  Is it a noble cause?   “The right fight connects people with a sense of purpose that goes beyond their own self-interest, unleashing profound collective imagination and abilities.” (2)  This is a fairly simple question for at the heart of local government is the desire to leave our communities better than they were when we found them.  We impact the quality of life for all those in our communities in a very real and tangible way.  

Let’s look at a local government example.  Imagine that at every Council or Board meeting you have 1 or 2 citizens blasting your code enforcement efforts (or perhaps you have an issue that plagues each of your meetings).  The morning after during the debriefing meeting, there is talk about the comments made at the meeting.  Do you let the debriefing pass and wait until the next council meeting to see if others express their frustration, or do you see this as an opportunity to ask the question “How can we take this issue and rethink what code enforcement could look like?”  

What is the real issue?  Of course this isn’t simple, tensions are likely to rise and there will be very different perspectives diagnosing even the root of the problem.  However, that’s the point, and by asking the questions, you are changing the game and looking towards what is possible.  

The City of Independence, MO asked that very question and has since created a code enforcement program with returns greater than they could have imagined.  Beyond a code enforcement program, it has changed the face of neighborhoods and built relationships that never existed. (3)    

Take a second to consider in your organization….

1. Where are the fights happening, if they are occurring at all?  Describe your organizational culture?  Is it peaceful and complacent, cut throat each step of the way, or is there a unique balance?

2.  Are the right fights happening?  Perhaps there is enough dissenting thought to last through a few budget cycles, but is that energy pointed in a positive direction.  Do we as an organization fight over font size or business models?  

3.  How do you create the kind of conflict that will unveil the creative flow of your organization?

For the leader, consider how the scene is set; what are the ground rules, how do you ensure all sides have a fair shot, are the right questions being asked, do you have the right people around the table, and how are you rewarding your contrarians – those who have the courage to challenge the status quo, even when they might find themselves on the losing side? (4)

Unlike Edward Norton, we won’t be walking out of City Hall with bloodied noses (although at times it might feel that way), but as Jim Collins writes “retain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end” for a larger purpose.  In doing so, you are creating the type of conflict that will unleash the creative and innovative geniuses inside of the walls of City Hall.  

References

1. Good to Great and the Social Sectors.  A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great.  Collins, Jim.  2005, www.jimcollins.com.
2. How to Pick a Good Fight.  Joni, Saj-nicole A. and Damon Beyer. Harvard Business Review, pg 48-57, December 2009.
3. Interview with Independence, MO.  January 2010.
4. What’s Needed Next:  A Culture of Candor.  O’Toole, James and Warren Bennis.  Harvard Business Review, June 2009.