Are You a Dissenter?

Organizations need dissenters or 'useful troublemakers' to promote innovation. The dissenter may have eureka ideas himself or herself but also pushes others to think better and more creatively by challenging sacred cows and traditional thought patterns. But even though they are valuable, dissenters often have a hard time in organizations. This quiz will help you identify if you are a dissenter and what you can do to get more positive attention for your ideas.

Check the YES or NO box for each of the following questions:

1.	Are your ideas often greeted by: "It'll never work?" Or "The boss will never go for it." Or "It's not what we do around here."	Yes No
2.	Do you often feel people are just waiting for you to finish talking before going on to another topic?	Yes No
3.	Do you often get teased for your single-mindedness with comments like: "This is a real hobby horse for you, isn't it?" Or "If you're so smart, how come you ain't rich?" Or "Can I give you a quarter to phone somebody who cares?"	Yes No
4.	Do you feel people have started to ignore your contributions and ideas?	Yes No
5.	Are you being left out of important meetings and/or do people keep 'forgetting' to send you documents you should have input on?	Yes No
6.	Has your supervisor ever said anything like: "Focus on assigned projects, not just on the ones you want to do." OR "Stop wasting other people's time by pushing your pet project."?	Yes No
7.	Have you ever been let go, reassigned, or otherwise punished for continuing to push an idea you believe in?	Yes No
8.	Do you believe you have to keep fighting for a good idea, no matter what?	Yes No
9.	Are you sometimes seen as a difficult employee?	Yes No
10.	Do you often feel management just doesn't 'get it' when it comes to your ideas?	Yes No

Beyond

theory

and into

practice

making knowledge and innovation work

Frances D.E. Horibe
President, franceshoribe.com
e-mail: fhoribe at franceshoribe.com
Telephone: 613-234-6470
Fax: 613-234-3926