Heed your Loyal Opposition | The Business Ethics Blog

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By Lauren | June 3, 2011

Resuming my Friday series on keeping your business out of court, let?s talk about the person in your office that everyone loves to hate. That person - let?s call him Herman - is a chronic naysayer. Whenever someone tries to look on the bright side of a situation, Herman is quick to dwell on the dark. Every time someone has a brilliant idea, Herman is the one to point out why it?ll never work. If there?s a debate about any aspect of your business, Herman can always be counted on to take the negative side.

People like Herman can be annoying, upsetting, depressing, and bad for team spirit and company morale. It?s tempting to dismiss everything they say. But smart executives listen to what the Hermans in their companies have to say, and here?s why:

Enthusiasm is essential to business success, but it can cause you to overlook pitfalls that become obvious with the benefit of hindsight. Herman may be a negative nitpicker, but that doesn?t mean he?s wrong. If you filter out the tone of constant complaint and listen to the merits of what he has to say, your Herman may just give you the warning you need to sidestep those pitfalls on the way to success.

The British Parliament has a term for minority-party members who always criticize what the majority has to say - they?re called the Loyal Opposition, and their observations can be invaluable. Don?t dismiss the Loyal Opposition in your company, or make the mistake of thinking that they?re wrong just because they?re telling you something you don?t want to hear. Listening to Herman may not be much fun, but it might just save you from making a mistake that could land your company in court.

Topics: Business Ethics, business communications, customer relations, ethics |

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