Push Forward
In many workplaces I find myself having conversations about push back.
It can be ...
... leaders complaining about employees pushing back on ideas; or
... people wishing they had the power to push back.
It is a human need to push back on things we don’t agree with, that oppose our values and beliefs, that may cause us stress, anxiety or harm, or things we believe are unreasonable.
Pushing back can readily become the norm in some workplace cultures.
There is an alternative.
The opposite to push back is to push forward.
When we push forward we are looking to move something forward and continue to make progress. We are looking at how we can establish win-win options. We are questioning what is blocking progress? We are intentionally building better relationships, trusting, communicating openly, asking questions, listening and integrating varied beliefs and views. We are purpose driven such that we can look to how we can make (even tiny steps) forward. This is especially important when we disagree.
The actions of pushing back and pushing forward take energy, persistence and time.
If we’re going to exert such effort, pushing forward is a much better direction, don’t you agree.