The Merits of Being A “Contrary Joe”

The Merits of Being a “Contrary Joe” Part I

To be Published in the Kankakee Daily Journal July 12, 2023

Editor’s note: In Part 1, Dr. Daake will define the issue.  In Part 2, he will propose some practical solutions and techniques for turning what could be destructive disagreement into a force for better decision making.

“When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.” Peter Marshall (Former US Senate Chaplain.)

I don’t remember exactly what age I was, when my mother, when I was being a bit cranky, negative, or just plain stubborn, would say to me “You are being a ‘Contrary Joe.’”  It probably started at about age 5 or 6.  From time to time, indeed I acted like a Contrary Joe. Of course, this was not a compliment but a reminder that I needed to shape up.

Fast forward a few years.  In my twenties, I found myself in situations where challenging “taken-for-granted” values or behaviors became a part of who I was.  Throughout college, we were encouraged to become critical thinkers and challenge unexamined “truth.”  I had just graduated magna cum laude from Kansas State University with my all-knowing history degree (unencumbered by life experience and taught by ivory tower professors.) As a new improved Contrary Joe, I had all the answers, knew a better way, and loved to challenge the status quo. 

In those days, it was no longer about challenging my parents because I, like millions of others, had experienced the observation of Mark Twain. “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around.  But when I was 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”  Rather, I challenged ideas from my church, government, employer, and “society” in general.  There may be something worse than an ordinary Contrary Joe, and that is a self-important “educated” one.

As time went by, I got a real-world education–first by working on the assembly line at White tractor for about eight months.  Then as a teaching and research assistant during my MBA at the University of Iowa, I was confronted with my limitations while simultaneously being encouraged to express my views.  But I had to do it constructively, backed up by evidence.  Next, in my jobs as the primary  Market Research Supervisor at Winnebago Industries and my six years as a Continuing Education Director at Eastern Iowa Community College, I had to learn sometimes the hard way– the proper way to channel my natural “talent” of being a Contrary Joe.

Let me express a disclaimer here.  When I recall personal stories or situations, I realize it is from my viewpoint, and there is always another side.  Still, I try to be fair in my version of the events.  I will always remember a lesson I learned one time when I directly challenged my boss in a meeting.  He was the best boss I ever had, and we were encouraged to air our differences of opinion.  I may have been right about the issue but I did it at the wrong place and time.  In my defense however, managers have to be careful and clear in defining the rules of engagement and remain consistent.

In a job many years later, another boss of mine, who once had defined the rules of engagement as true open uninhibited discussion as long as it was done with respect, slowly drifted towards virtually no open discussion.  Our once open, productive meetings where we hammered out good decisions were reduced to more or less reading our reports with no time or desire for discussion.  Most of the team members seemed stymied by this change and kept their mouths shut.

One of my colleagues and I, who both had served in multiple relatively high positions elsewhere, decided we would not be inhibited.  During a discussion of a challenging and ongoing issue, I had the gall to bring up the concern one more time.  The response I got was, “We’ve heard that all before.” Not only was I shut down, but I was “held after school” for a lecture about how I was hurting morale with my attitude.  I was smart enough to not say what I was thinking.  “Well, you’re hearing all this again because we have done nothing to solve the underlying fundamental problem.”

As time passed, there was a noticeable decline in morale. Some of my colleagues went into their shells, lowering performance and standards, and some of the highest performers even left.  In my opinion, the organization has never fully recovered.

Open, honest communication is challenging and fraught with landmines.  Many managers and leaders with the best intentions of free communication policies realize the danger of sessions turning into gripe sessions, which, in turn can also lower morale.

During my Ph.D. program and to this day, one of my major research interests is decision-making.  The bad news is that many well-intention efforts at open communications and improved decision-making implode.  The good news is there is a vast scientific body of research that can show us how to create a system with respect, rules, techniques, and procedures that can use the idea of disagreement and dissent (“Contrary Joeism,” as I have labeled it.)  Many rock-solid, proven techniques we know work need to be more widely adapted.  There are a variety of reasons why there is this gap between best practices to actual practices. 

Next time I will briefly identify these reasons and give four specific techniques (of the many available) that have proven enormously effective.  Devil’s Advocate, Dialectic Inquiry, “Skunk Works,” and Ombudsmen will be included.  A caution, though, unless the commitment to open discussion and communication comes from the top down, it is futile.  But I’m confident that most managers and leaders (but not all) are committed to the best for their companies and organizations.

Don Daake, MBA, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus at Olivet, specializes in strategic planning and marketing research.  His research interests include decision-making, positive psychology, and tacit knowledge.  He has created strategic plans with large and small organizations in Florida and Kankakee County.  He has numerous national peer-reviewed journal articles and several published book chapters.  While at Florida State, he was Program Director of the State of Florida’s multiple-year $500,000 Hurricane Shelter Management Training Program.