# Being Argumentative By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2024-02-07 There is an interesting phenomenon within organizations, that of being argumentative while agreeing. In such a situation, the tone and tenor of the discussion is that of an argument, but the content is that of agreement. It is unclear why this phenomenon manifests. Perhaps a person has had a bad day. Maybe the person is overwhelmed. Perhaps the person doesn’t like the person with whom they are discussing. Whatever the reason, this dynamic makes for a challenging situation to navigate. Being argumentative often produces substandard results. At a minimum, it creates tension. Further, one can start to want to avoid the argumentative person. If people start “working around” an individual, that person will become increasingly isolated and disconnected. Strategically, one should attempt to avoid being argumentative where one can. It is seldom beneficial. There are better ways. Being silent is perhaps the best strategy. As one is silent, one can focus on listening to understand. We are all going through some stuff. This is evident by the response to Elmo’s tweet asking how things are going. The short answer is not good. Maybe being less argumentative is a place to start to make things better. If not for organizational performance, at least for our well-being. #### Related Items [[People]] [[Organization]] [[Work]] [[Argumentation]] [[Performance]] [[Engagement]]