Glossary term
Disagree and commit
A decision-making principle where people challenge a decision before it is made, then support it once the decision is final.
Also known as: disagree & commit, disagree then commit, have backbone disagree and commit
Disagree and commit means you do not need everyone to agree before moving forward.
People should challenge assumptions, raise concerns and argue for a different direction while the decision is still open. Once the decision has been made, the team commits to it rather than continuing the same argument or quietly working against it.
Amazon includes the idea in its "Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit" leadership principle.
The important part is that disagreement happens before the decision and commitment happens after it. It does not mean staying quiet, pretending to agree or avoiding difficult conversations.
