You Don't Always Have to Be Right

You know the situations - you're in a conversation with someone and it starts to get a little contentious because you differ on the "facts." It might be a discussion of the best way to complete a task, the sequence of events relating to a previous situation, or a plain and simple difference on opinion on a particular subject.

Here's something to consider before investing too much time and energy into your efforts - You don't always have to be right.

In his book, "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff... and It's All Small Stuff, author Richard Carlson says, "Needing to be right - or needing someone else to be wrong - encourages others to become defensive and puts pressure on us to keep defending."

Conversations that occur when both parties dig in their heels and take on a defense mode are rarely productive. As hard as it is to stop talking and move on, sometimes you just HAVE to accept the disagreement for what it is and change the subject or end the conversation.

Before getting too worked up or involved in one of these conversations, consider the topic and importance. Does this really matter to my business or purpose? Is it worth the effort?

Certainly there are times when you must help others see your point of view or make your stance clear. These are the once that matter to your bottom line or your reputation. In addition, there are times when it's good to have healthy discussions over processes and priorities when you're involved in groups and organizations.

But when it comes to topics that have a low priority to your business, remember that you don't have to always be right. You might end the conversation gracefully by saying something like, "Well, I disagree but I'm okay with that," or "I see your point and I can appreciate your position."

Why this matters...

This takes A LOT of energy - energy that you can use to do something more productive. There are plenty of topics and issues that aren't worth the time it takes to prove you are right, and it will be to your advantage to invest your time and energy in those that do.

You will show yourself as a mature and confident business person if you resist the temptation to escalate conversations into the defensive mode and simply let your business beliefs and practices to speak for themselves.