Comments on: Kerrying On: Who Wants to Be Weird?

By: Vikram Gadre

Vikram Gadre — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 04:05:10 +0000

Very well narrated. I really like the observation that dissent does not equate to weird behaviour and, that disagreement does not equate to iconoclasm or violence.

By: Silent Sam

Silent Sam — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 19:55:07 +0000

I find myself struggling with this in my current position. The group I am in is all in on a very expensive R&D project over the past few years that in my opinion has a lot of holes in it and a very high risk to fail in the market. There has been much talk from my boss, coworkers, and project managers that this new technology will be the pie in the sky and very aggressive projections have been made and issued to upper management. At first, I was new to the group and didn’t want to rock the boat because I felt like everyone else knew things about the project that I wasn’t aware of yet. So, I kept my doubts to myself. Now everyone has jumped into the boat and from my perception are about to sail off a cliff while they slap each other on the back for a job well done. I feel like if I speak up now, I will only become the scapegoat when the project fails and take the blame for not doing something sooner. Other than this one project, I really enjoy everything else about my job and don’t really want to abandon ship before everything hits the fan, but I’m worried about the fallout affecting me if I stick around. I think upper management is going to be blindsided by this and heads will roll if it goes down as I fear it will. As much as I agree with and like what Kerry suggested, I don’t know if I have the courage to do it. Plus, I think it’s too late anyway at this point. Most likely I’ll cross my fingers and hope that we can find a way to salvage the mess we are getting ourselves into.

By: Blake Austensen

Blake Austensen — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 14:39:31 +0000

Great story and rebranding term describing that one outlier in every group who dares to speak their mind against the majority! That person is really an “influence master!” The person who is part of the 25 percent who speak out against the majority or the authority and do it without rapidly pivoting from silence to violence. I really like this description of the four things they do to make it safe to speak out against the majority! It’s such an easy to use and remember formula!

By: Caroline Bureau

Caroline Bureau — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 13:10:02 +0000

Thank you so much for this inspiring story. I do not follow social conventions all the time and I often feel like the black sheep, the one who interrupt the party. I see what skills I can nourish to learn to speak out like a leader and create openness instead of complaints 😉 Gratitude.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 12:46:32 +0000

I love this! This is very common that everyone experience.it can be challenging to speak up, especially when we fear the consequences or are concerned about how others might react. However, when we keep our thoughts and feelings bottled up, it can lead to frustration, resentment, and missed opportunities for resolution or improvement. Finding a balance between expressing ourselves respectfully and constructively is important for our own well-being and for effective communication with others. It’s often better to address concerns or express our opinions in a thoughtful and considerate manner rather than allowing them to simmer and cause further distress.