Originally posted on LinkedIn
Language matters — for sure. But we also need to think about how we interpret what we read or hear. I always apply Indra Nooyi’s “assume positive intent.”
Basically, it’s like Occam’s Razor applied to morality. For anything someone does, it’s always better to assume they did it with good intentions rather than malice.
Felipe Novoa posted about his interview, using language that rubbed a lot of people the wrong way (though personally it didn’t bother me).
Many assumed bad intentions behind the language. I believe in assuming Felipe always posts with the best of intentions.
It applies everywhere — someone interrupts you in a meeting, they probably didn’t do it to steamroll you but for some good reason. And then you have a conversation to clarify.
It works the other way too — the criticism directed at Felipe almost certainly doesn’t come from a bad place. For example, pointing out that language and precision matter, as Maria Echeverri Gomez did.
I prefer to think the best of people always. That way we avoid ad-hominem attacks and generate more conversation, less conflict.