Trying Out a Different Approach
So, I decided to try something a bit different lately. Got tired of the usual way we handle things when stuff gets stuck, you know? Everyone’s polite, nobody says the real thing, and the problem just festers. I started calling this little experiment of mine the ‘graymond dreen’ method in my head. Not after anyone specific, really, just sounded like a way to be more direct, maybe a bit more… forceful? Not angry, but just cutting the crap.
We had this project, see? It wasn’t moving. Stuck in the mud for weeks. Meetings felt like replays, same points, same gentle disagreements, same lack of actual movement. Usually, I’d try to nudge things along, maybe talk to people one-on-one, try to smooth things over. It works sometimes, but it’s slow, and honestly, exhausting.
This time, I thought, let’s do the ‘graymond dreen’.
The Actual Steps I Took
First, I booked a meeting. Called it something blunt like “Project X – Unsticking the Blockers”. No fancy corporate speak.
In the meeting, I basically just laid it out. Didn’t sugarcoat it. Said something like, “Look, this isn’t working. We’re going in circles. What’s the real reason we can’t decide on step A or step B?” I pointed out the obvious conflicts we were all avoiding talking about directly.
Man, it felt weird. You could feel the air change in the room. Some folks looked uncomfortable. One guy got a bit defensive. But here’s the thing: people started talking. Really talking.
Instead of the usual dance, we actually dug into the disagreements. It wasn’t pleasant, not like a friendly chat over coffee. It was a bit rough. But we got specific issues out on the table that were always hinted at but never addressed head-on.
What Happened Then?
Well, it wasn’t magic. The problems didn’t vanish instantly. But the logjam broke. We identified two major points of friction that were disguised as technical debates but were actually about resource fears and who owned what.
Here’s what I noticed:
- Initial Shock: People weren’t used to that level of directness from me, or maybe in general. Took a moment to adjust.
- Real Issues Surfaced: The bluntness forced the real concerns out, rather than the polite excuses.
- Needed Careful Handling: You can’t just be a bull in a china shop. Even being direct, I had to steer it away from personal attacks and keep it focused on the project’s problems. That was the tricky part.
- Not for Every Situation: I wouldn’t do this every day or for minor things. It felt like a tool for specific, really stuck situations.
The result? We made a decision by the end of that meeting. A real one. And we outlined concrete next steps. The project finally started moving again the next day. It wasn’t smooth sailing after, but the blockage was gone.
So, the ‘graymond dreen’ thing… it’s messy. It can make people uncomfortable. But sometimes, I think you need that direct push to shake things loose. It’s not about being mean; it’s about being clear and cutting through the fog. Definitely learned something from trying it out. Might keep it in the toolbox for those really stubborn problems.
