American elections are frustrating, or at least it has been this year — that may be one thing both sides can agree on. Politics are far from my domain of expertise (really far—my “political” brain was focused on how to sneak ice cream in the house without my kids noticing), so I have no solution to offer regarding political candidates.
However, the election did trigger deeper thoughts on corporate politics. We’ve all been there: you have an idea you absolutely love...but the “bad guys” loathe it. Even if the “opposition” is handling it politely and professionally, your heart is broken. You anticipated flowers and champagne but ran into uncomfortable disagreement instead.
The solution is simple: the Socratic Ted Lasso Method.
What is this obviously made-up unscientific framework? Why, thank you for asking dear reader. In fact, you’re on the right track: you started with a curious question.
Let’s start with the clear historical hero of the two, Ted Lasso. The main character of the eponymous show, Ted Lasso on Apple TV, defeats his arrogant opponent, a wealthy villain named Rupert, in an intense game of darts. I get it, that doesn’t sound profound, but what Ted says to the villain is thought-provoking.
“You know, Rupert, guys have underestimated me my entire life. And for years, I never understood why. It used to really bother me. But then one day, I was driving my little boy to school, and I saw this quote by Walt Whitman, and it was painted on the wall there. It said, ‘Be curious, not judgmental.’ I like that.” - Ted Lasso
Easier said than done, being curious and not judgmental. I love the sentiment, but have struggled to implement it, especially in fast-paced professional settings. The key to unlocking this curiosity-driven mindset was surprisingly simple once a solution came to mind: the Socratic Method.
Socrates, one of the founders of moral and ethical philosophy, had a knack for challenging long-held beliefs around ethics, wisdom, and justice. By challenging his fellow citizens, the Socratic Method was born, which simply investigates a belief through questioning.
Context over, now for the goods — why does this matter to you, the reader? The Socratic Method can present as an argumentative approach, which isn't usually the best avenue to take in professional settings. By combining the ethos of Ted Lasso with the methods of Socrates, we have a happy balance. Lead with curious inquiries when you find yourself in disagreement, not with judgmental comments or questions.
For us in the workforce industry, this requires patience and practice. The good news: I have no doubt you’ll have plenty of opportunities for practice. The bad news: it’s awkward and uncomfortable at first. Our innate reflex is fight or flight, which in the workplace can look like defensive hints of anger or withdrawing from the situation altogether, sometimes even with inauthentic agreement.
Here are some workplace questions to get you started in practice:
- What is influencing your perspective? Can you expand on this?
- What is your goal or intention?
- What excites you about this idea? Or what scares you about this idea?
Here’s what these questions could look like as confidence increases:
Leader: “Why will this strategy work?”
Team Member: “It worked before for a competitor.”
Leader: “What are the key differences between us and the competitor?”
Team Member: “The competitor has been in this vertical longer than us.”
Leader: “Will that impact the effectiveness of your strategy?”
Team Member: “I’m not sure, but it’s certainly worth investigating.”
In the example above, the essential element to point out: there was no commitment to a path forward. We need to become comfortable with that.
Admittedly, there is an unavoidable downside: using the Socratic Ted Lasso method may not be quick in the pursuit of reaching Key Performance Indicators, which is something I’ll dive deeper into next time.
Whether it’s emotionally charged personal or professional politics, moving with curious consideration is how we bring humanity into disagreements. Disagreement is admitting imperfection and imperfection is where real innovation can be found.
