Being an Objector
Listen to this post…
“Hearing is listening to what is said. Listening is hearing what isn’t said.” - Simon Sinek
Recently, we were part of a conversation around the need to redesign our education system. There was little disagreement from those within the group that despite the best efforts of educators and administrators, the current system is obsolete. While listening to the back and forth, we found ourselves wondering about the underlying assumptions we were all making about the current system and how we could discuss those more intentionally. We wondered whether we had agreement on the purpose of schooling or even learning in and of itself. We wondered whether the justification for transforming systems could avoid using failing national and international test scores. We wondered if the other members of the discussion were feeling how we were.
And then someone practiced being an objector.
In that moment, the objector asked a few critical and intentional questions about what we believed and about why we believed it. They shared their story and their beliefs about learning and schooling. They shared their vision for a more human centered system, one in which the system served people instead of the current construction in which the people serve the system. And they invited, or enrolled others, to share their stories, values, and beliefs in return. And others did.
Being an objector is being willing to voice and act upon what is often left unspoken. And often, that objector mindset is developed and refined through an intentional commitment to curiosity in conversation with others. Being present with others, as an objector, does not mean that we argue our point or play devil’s advocate. It means that we both hear what is being said and pay attention to what is not being said, without judgment. We filter new and different ideas through our own values and beliefs. And then we ask more questions, to understand more deeply and richly.
Being an objector is not about having the answers. It’s not about being aggressive or assertive. It is about being curious and courageous and vulnerable. It’s about leaning in with questions and enrolling others in a call to act together.
There are two core mindshifts we associate with being an objector.The first asks us to navigate from being passively compliant to being actively curious…even radically curious. Our commitment is to asking questions of ourselves and others in order to enroll one another in deeper and more meaningful relationships with one another.
The second core mindshift asks us to navigate from seeing leadership as a title to seeing leadership as a choice by anyone to take action. Essentially, this mindshift asks us to lead from wherever we are, regardless of title. This mindshift asks us to acknowledge our choices and move towards expanding our sphere of influence by enrolling others and developing deeper commitments to change and transformation.
All four compass points are interconnected but being an objector is first because these two mindshifts open us up to the messiness and beauty of learning through acknowledging the “why” and “what if”? What we could invent together is far more interesting coming from a place of curiosity. What we curate is far more interesting when it is done from intentionally and thoughtfully challenging assumptions. The stories we tell are far more compelling when the questions we ask of the world are driven by wanting to make things more human. The compass points are all things we must DO. They are actions. And action to change our world starts with being an Objector.
