102. Ten Percent of a Bad Idea | Why your gut reaction may lead you astray

In this episode, we explore the 10% rule - the idea that in disagreement, the other person is at least 10% right. This is a tool for conflict abatement and resolution. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the rightness of our own opinions and ideas – whether it’s in medicine, business, leadership, relationships, or any time we interact with others. However, this can be detrimental to collaboration and creativity.

The basics of the 10% rule are simple. When presented with an idea that your gut reaction is to reject, find the 10% value.

For example, someone says to you, “I’m thinking of buying one of the decommissioned space shuttles so I can get to work faster.” On the surface, you might think that’s moronic. But what’s the 10% in there? Maybe it’s that they’re thinking of a way to improve the commute to work. So instead of completely rejecting the idea, you could say, “What I like about that idea is less commuting stress and getting to work faster. Let’s build on that and see what other ideas we can come up with.”

The 10% rule is different than saying you like the idea itself because that might be a lie. You might not like the idea in total, but there’s almost certainly 10% in there that you do like. By finding that 10%, you can build on it and create a more collaborative interaction.

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We discuss

The sublime feeling of basking in our own rightnessHow to operationalize the 10% ruleDon't lie and try to appeaseYes vs No. And vs But.All the buts in your dayThe 10% Rule in real-time