Margaret Heffernan - Dare to Disagree - TEDx
The former CEO of five businesses, Margaret Heffernan explores the all-too-human thought patterns — like conflict avoidance and selective blindness — that lead organizations and managers astray.
Heffernan began her career in television production, building a track record at the BBC before going on to run the film and television producer trade association IPPA. In the US, Heffernan became a serial entrepreneur and CEO in the wild early days of web business. She now blogs for the Huffington Post and BNET.com. Her latest book, Beyond Measure, a TED Books original, explores the small steps companies can make that lead to big changes in their culture.
Most people instinctively avoid conflict, but as Margaret Heffernan shows us, good disagreement is central to progress. She illustrates (sometimes counterintuitively) how the best partners aren’t echo chambers -- and how great research teams, relationships and businesses allow people to deeply disagree.
Pairwork
1. Can you name any famous people with a reputation for saying unexpected things?
2. Have you been in a situation where afterwards you regretted saying something or saying nothing?
3. Many people find it difficult to express their disagreement. Why do you think this is?
Vocabulary
epidemiology, affluent, whistle-blower, crank, stand up to
Why are the words in the following sentence underlined?
In Oxford in the 1950s there was a fantastic doctor who was very unusual, named Alice Steward.
The former CEO of five businesses, Margaret Heffernan explores the all-too-human thought patterns — like conflict avoidance and selective blindness — that lead organizations and managers astray.
Heffernan began her career in television production, building a track record at the BBC before going on to run the film and television producer trade association IPPA. In the US, Heffernan became a serial entrepreneur and CEO in the wild early days of web business. She now blogs for the Huffington Post and BNET.com. Her latest book, Beyond Measure, a TED Books original, explores the small steps companies can make that lead to big changes in their culture.
Most people instinctively avoid conflict, but as Margaret Heffernan shows us, good disagreement is central to progress. She illustrates (sometimes counterintuitively) how the best partners aren’t echo chambers -- and how great research teams, relationships and businesses allow people to deeply disagree.
Pairwork
1. Can you name any famous people with a reputation for saying unexpected things?
2. Have you been in a situation where afterwards you regretted saying something or saying nothing?
3. Many people find it difficult to express their disagreement. Why do you think this is?
Vocabulary
epidemiology, affluent, whistle-blower, crank, stand up to
Why are the words in the following sentence underlined?
In Oxford in the 1950s there was a fantastic doctor who was very unusual, named Alice Steward.
LYRICS
