Don’t pander to loudest minority
Afew months back, I heard Mike Hosking trying to interview a Green Party Member of Parliament. I say ‘‘trying’’ because, as much as he wanted to bring the conversation back to something rational, the interviewee would have none of that.
The MP concerned had an opinion which, not unusually, was at the extreme end of what most of us would find believable or acceptable.
But, come hell or high water, she was going to express that opinion, irrespective of Hosking’s questions.
It reminded me of the person with the megaphone on the street corner, shouting out their views. Irrespective of what the people on the street think, or the questions that might be asked, the megaphone view – and only that view, however extreme – seems to matter.
We are seeing a new wave of politicians on both sides of the political stage who have grown up trying to be heard.
Typically, these passionate people have a strength of belief in their particular cause that means that they are unable to listen to, or even allow, another view.
This makes them impossible to argue with. Many of these people are now in Government or other positions of responsibility, and the strength of their belief, coupled with their passion to debate the fact, makes them highly effective and potentially dangerous.
Left-wing governments tend to be dominated by people who have cut their teeth challenging the more conservative establishment. Megaphone people. Shouters, not listeners.
At the other end of the political spectrum, we have seen the emergence of far-right political views gaining traction, particularly in Europe.
Although they have different agendas, they use the same tactics. Shouting, not listening.
Of course, in many cases, we have those who challenge the establishment to thank for our progress. Constructive change agents have brought women the vote, ended wars, developed technology and otherwise changed the way we live.
Right now, societies around the world are in the middle of debates about harassment, bullying, drug reform, climate change, border security, race relations, financial freedoms, diversity, equality and so on.
Many of these discussions started because someone stood up and expressed a different view.
However, as we progress, we need cautious acceptance of the cause in order to balance the extreme views being offered.
Governments wrestle with change slowly, but in business, however, the outcomes are more immediate. Because we are close to the action, we are constantly reminded by our people and our customers that they don’t like surprises and they don’t want extreme responses.
As a result, businesspeople, by necessity, tend to take a more balanced view of the challenges and challengers they face.
It’s great to have people speaking up. In fact, it’s essential.
But whatever cause our people or our customers might be championing needs to be constructively considered, before decisions can be made.
So, whatever the topic, you need a debate, with both sides properly represented and considered. Getting the balance right is critical.
Many of the societal debates are one-sided. The passionate person with the megaphone now has a new tool. It’s called social media.
And to the traditional media, the loonies at either end of the political spectrum are much more interesting than the conservative representatives trying to steer a safe course somewhere down the middle.
And so, the crazies get the airtime and they get their message out.
The most important role of any leader or manager, in politics or business, is to be a listener rather than a shouter.
Because it is the middle view – where we accept the challenge presented by a desire for change, and steer a safe and balanced course somewhere between the centre and the extreme – which is often where we need to end up.
Just as businesspeople are forced to take responsibility for smart though cautious change, the world’s politicians need to do the same.
The alternative is that we end up pandering to the short-term whims of the loudest minority.
Bruce Cotterill is a keynote speaker, a former chief executive and current company chairman and director.