Building Better Ideas: How Constructive Debate Inspires Courage, Collaboration, and Breakthrough Solutions

Summary

Why do teams settle for bad ideas or kill good ones? Popular consultant B. Kim Barnes's unique process of constructive debate shows how teams can create better ideas and outcomes by eliminating obstacles to honest discussion, creativity, and collaboration. In too many organizations, great ideas and unusual solutions can be suppressed, ignored, or attacked. Departments defend their turf, and people choose what is safe over what is better. Honest opinions often show up in the "meeting after the meeting" because people fear conflict or repercussions. Bad ideas move forward and good ideas die, which can lead to disastrous results-financial or otherwise. Luckily, there is a workable path out of this dysfunction. Kim Barnes's process of Constructive Debate shows how to establish conditions that encourage the free exchange, discussion, and development of ideas and eliminate conditions that prevent potentially useful ideas from getting heard. By using this tested model, any company or team can improve outcomes and bring out everyone's best ideas.