Compromise tends to get a bad rap. It’s often seen as a negative thing. Most definitions of compromise involve the idea of making concessions. Conceding and compromising are requirements to working together, but not in the negative sense. Rather in the sense that we do not know it all. Discussions and productive debates are about hearing other people’s views and ideas of what to do next, what is right, and so on. We learn through these discussions. And learning requires compromise – conceding the other has a point we have not thought about before.

And certainly change and solving tough challenges requires compromise. If it didn’t, the challenges would be solved by now. The easy solutions have been tried and found wanting. Therefore, what remains requires learning a new way, which is a form of compromise.

The choice is up to us.

Photo by Brett Jordan