In my twitter feed today, I found this quote by Margaret Heffernan, speaking at TEDxGlobal: “Collaboration requires thinking partners that aren’t echo chambers”. Brilliant. I love this notion; it speaks to something I believe wholeheartedly (and discuss with groups all the time): the importance of conflict in healthy, sustainable teams.
I was hoping TED had her talk already available for viewing online, but alas, no dice. However, I did find this blog post about her on the TED site. In the post, she specifically addresses the notion of willful blindness (something about which she has written an entire book) as a means to avoid conflict. What struck me most was how relevant her ideas were to running clinical programs (she writes about business)–particularly this:
“The truth won’t set us free until we develop the skill, the talent, and the moral courage to use it. Openness isn’t the end, it’s the beginning.”
Awesome.
Add: TED now has it available!