Feel Free to Disagree

I may have found a flaw in my use of social media as a professional learning tool.

I recently asked a colleague who has signed up for Twitter why he is not a more active user. His response intrigued me:

“It seems to me that Twitter is a mutual admiration society.”

Let me declare up front that I am now in my 7th month using Twitter and the Blogosphere. The journey has been nothing short of invigorating and eye opening. I have learned more, shared more and reflected more because of my immersion in social media.

Nonetheless, my colleague’s comment has left me unsettled.

I must make the following confession:

1. There are some Twitter users that I interact with more than others.

2. I do tend to “agree” more than “disagree” with those I follow using social media.

3. I tend to following like minded professionals on Twitter

4. It feels good to receive affirming comments on my blog posts

Should this be a big surprise?

Surely not! Like in face to face interactions, we tend to associate and interact with those that we have the most in common with and with those that affirm us. Conversely, we tend to shy away from those that challenge us or are different from us. 


Does social media exacerbate this dynamic?

Wanting to test the “mutual admiration” theory about Twitter even further, I sent out a one question (very unscientific) survey using Google Forms (via Twitter) and asked the following question:

When interacting using social media (Twitter, Blogs, etc.) do you tend to agree or disagree with the author's ideas or reflections?

• 94% of respondents indicated that they generally agree with the author (44 out of 47 respondents)

Again, given the nature of social media, the results come as no real surprise. The pitfall, however, is that social media (e.g. Twitter), as learning tool, runs the risk of becoming an exercise in Groupthink.

Groupthink is a type of thought within a deeply cohesive in-group whose members try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas....

Individual creativity, uniqueness, and independent thinking are lost in the pursuit of group cohesiveness, as are the advantages of reasonable balance in choice and thought that might normally be obtained by making decisions as a group. During groupthink, members of the group avoid promoting viewpoints outside the comfort zone of consensus thinking. A variety of motives for this may exist such as a desire to avoid being seen as foolish, or a desire to avoid embarrassing or angering other members of the group. (Wikipedia)

This definition resonates with me. As a learner and leader, I want my ideas and thoughts to be challenged. I do not want to fall victim to Groupthink.

An excellent example of the benefits of being “critically tested” is seen in Swissair’s “Muser” policy of “encouraging a healthy dose of disagreement in the cockpit” to ensure the highest level of safety (Hugo Muser, as cited in Kouzes & Pozner, Leadership Challenge).


It has been determined that by talking back and questioning the captain’s decisions in the cockpit provides the highest of safety levels.

As learner I want my learning space to be like a Swissair cockpit. Twitter, as a learning space, needs to be a place of respectful candour.

Therefore as I move forward with Twitter as a learning space I pledge to:

• Follow professionals on Twitter from diverse backgrounds and experiences 
• Read (& reply to) tweets and posts from a variety of people 
• Use my blog to stretch my thinking and the thinking of those that read it 
• Be respectfully candid when I “disagree” with someone 

And finally....

I give you (my fellow social media confreres) permission to disagree with me!