I know that Andy Grove of Intel says “only the paranoid survive”.
But, work relationships are sometimes corrupted by negative assumptions that take on a life all their own.
A jabrone speaks out against your idea in a meeting, and you naturally assume that he’s trying to sabotage your or embarrass you in front of the boss.
If this situation happens a couple of times, you might declare war and go on the offensive to neutralize or defeat him.
To interrupt this cycle, some organizational leaders urge their employees to “assume positive intent,”
