Does Defiance Have a Place at Work?

TOPIC: Do you think we should punish defiance in organizations?

BIG IDEAS:

• defiance appreciated in different cultures - in France it shows you're thinking critically
• power dynamics that are at play when talking about defiance
• defy and comply isn't a binary
• most of us were raised to believe that compliance was good and defiance was bad
• defiance can be good when it aligns with our values
• consent is when you have the capacity, knowledge
• we comply without having the knowledge
• false defiance - you go along with something that isn't aligned with your values
• conscious compliance -- where we're consciously going with something that's against your values because the risk is too high to comply
• there is often a long build up to defiance
• recognize the moments when I'm consciously complying
• not wanting to be the "complainer" when being harassed - risks too great for career
• people from marginalized groups have a great risk when defying
• looking to any ally from a more powerful social group to defy for you
• saying "no" to people's behavior and setting boundaries
• he-peating -- when a man repeats a woman's ideas, and others praise him over her
• How should companies deal with defiance? 
• getting curious about the defiance -  look at practices and processes that are outdated
• look at gaps between personal values and organizational values - how do we reconcile gaps in values
• Are values stated, but not practiced? 
• people can value the same thing, but how they demonstrate those values can differ
• look at the behaviors over the stated values of an organization
• emotional, psychological, physical, financial risks when it comes to defiance and compliance
• if there is a values misalignment between you and the organization, you choose a principled exit
• Is doing values exercises a pointless and dangerous exercise because you will never have alignment?
• the word defy has a moral connotation in French
• when people take your defiance to a process as a personal attack
• How do you defy but still stay loyal to the organization?
• it's hard to argue with someone's values
• standing on your moral high ground makes the other person wrong 
• using your values as a launch pad for your defiance
• build around a common need
• finding the nuanced way to defy - it doesn't have to be big and bold
• when you're at work, you're in a dependent relationship, so there are inherent risks
• the difference between protesting and striking 

RESOURCES:

• Defy by Dr. Sunita Sah
• Non Violent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg

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