The first rule of decision-making is that one does not make a decision unless there is a disagreement.
— Peter DruckerPD Peter Drucker , The Effective Executive
It’s important to disagree before making an important decision. Peter Drucker
PD
Peter Drucker
believed that a decision shouldn’t be made if there was no clash of conflicting views. He believed that making good decisions required dialog and considering alternative points of view. Therefore, he promoted disagreement and dissension in his writing, rather than consensus. How this rule can be implemented in practice is illustrated by the following quote from Alfred Sloan who famously postponed a decision at an executive board meeting due to a lack of disagreement:
Gentlemen, I take it we are all in complete agreement on the decision here. Then, I propose we postpone further discussion of this matter until the next meeting to give ourselves time to develop disagreement and perhaps gain some understanding of what the decision is all about.
— Alfred SloanAS Alfred Sloan , The Economist
