REWORK

Disagree and Commit

Apr 17, 2024

Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson discuss the concept of 'Disagree and Commit'. They highlight the importance of decision-making, empowering individuals to make independent choices, embracing mistakes for growth, and recognizing potential in employees. The podcast explores the balance between dissenting opinions and supporting unified directions in business endeavors.

26:50

Episode guests

David Heinemeier Hansson

Jason Fried

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Expressing differing opinions is encouraged during discussions, but full support of the final decision is essential for a healthy work environment.

Granting autonomy and responsibility to individuals in decision-making while ensuring oversight for quality and alignment with organizational goals.

Deep dives

Disagree and Commit Principle

The podcast discusses the 'Disagree and Commit' principle applied at 37signals. It emphasizes the importance of expressing differing opinions during discussions but then fully supporting the decision once it's made. This approach, inspired by Bezos, highlights the need for individuals to back decisions wholeheartedly, even if they initially disagreed. It aims to prevent backstabbing or sabotage, promoting a healthy work environment where decisions are respected and supported.

Importance of Getting behind Decisions

00:51

The 10% Rule for Decision Making and Delegation

03:27

Focus on Past and Present for Insightful Interviews

01:08

Introduction

5min

Importance of Disagreeing and Committing in Decision-Making

2min

Empowering Employees through Autonomy and Quality Standards

12min

Qualities of Employees and the Practice of Disagreeing and Committing

6min

Importance of Past Experiences and Thinking on the Spot in Interviews and Design Scenarios

2min

"Consensus is cozy, but broad agreement is not our aim. The right decision is. Which is why we take the time to think, debate, persuade, listen and reconsider and then, someone, decides. If you disagree, that’s fine, but once the decision is made, it’s time to commit and support it completely."

Tune in as Kimberly leads a chat with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, co-founders of 37signals, about the concept of Disagree and Commit. Once a decision is made, everyone should be in 100% — no looking back.

Key Takeaways:

01:01 - Breaking down how Disagree and Commit operates

02:17 - Identifying the most suitable person to make the final decision based on the circumstance

07:40 - Embracing the "manager of one" concept, empowering individuals to decide independently with reasonable supervision

09:33 - Acknowledging that delegating decisions doesn't compromise the emphasis on quality

14:04 - Always keeping the door open to revisit and tweak things

15:44 - Granting capable individuals the freedom to make mistakes, alongside providing guidance for improvement

20:35 - Viewing hiring not just as an evaluation of current abilities but also considering potential growth opportunities.

Links and Resources:

Jeff Bezos 2016 Letter to Amazon Shareholders

There’s No Speed Limit by Derek Sivers – https://sive.rs/kimo

Books by 37signals

HEY World | HEY

The REWORK podcast

The Rework Podcast on YouTube

The 37signals Dev Blog

37signals on YouTube