Allow for Criticism

… We were discussing a proposal that Matt and I had. Larry had a different, more subtle plan, which I didn’t understand. But it was clear that Matt did understand Larry’s plan and didn’t like it one bit. Matt—generally a very pleasant, easygoing guy—disagreed, heatedly. When Larry wouldn’t back down, Matt started yelling at Larry. He said Larry’s idea would flood him with “so much crap” he’d never keep up.

I felt unnerved by Matt’s reaction. I liked him, and I was afraid he’d get fired for criticizing Larry’s position so vehemently. Then I saw the big grin on Larry’s face. Not only did he permit Matt’s challenging him—he seemed to relish it. I could see from the open, happy way he responded to the argument that he wanted not just Matt but everyone at Google to feel comfortable criticizing authority—especially his. It didn’t make sense to label this conversation “nice” or “mean”, “rude” or “polite”. It was productive and collaborative. It was free. It was driving to the best answer. How had Larry achieved that?¹