Jeff Bezos’ ‘Disagree and Commit’ Makes a Comeback

• Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth lately advised employees to “disagree and commit” or depart the corporate.
• The phrase, popularized by Jeff Bezos, emphasizes fast decision-making and dedication amid disagreement.
• The philosophy dates again to former Intel CEO Andy Grove, who believed in cohesion round selections.

In Silicon Valley, an outdated mantra is making a comeback: “Disagree and commit.”

Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth lately stated to staffers to both depart or “disagree and commit” — echoing a phrase that is been famously utilized by billionaire Jeff Bezos.

Whereas Bosworth used the phrase to current a fork within the street of kinds for any Meta workers who have been sad concerning the firm’s latest coverage adjustments, Bezos has talked about it publicly as a administration philosophy.

He elaborated on the phrase as Amazon’s CEO in his 2016 shareholder letter below a bit labeled “Excessive-Velocity Determination Making.” Bezos championed the usage of “disagree and commit” and stated it might “save numerous time.”

“When you have conviction on a selected path despite the fact that there isn’t any consensus, it is useful to say, ‘Look, I do know we disagree on this however will you gamble with me on it? Disagree and commit?'” Bezos wrote within the letter.

“By the point you are at this level, nobody can know the reply for certain, and you will most likely get a fast sure,” Bezos stated.

Within the letter, he stated bosses ought to comply with the ideology as properly. Bezos stated he as soon as greenlighted an Amazon Studios authentic after telling his group he had considerations about its success. His group had a unique perspective and needed to maneuver ahead.

“I wrote again straight away with ‘I disagree and commit and hope it turns into essentially the most watched factor we have ever made,'” Bezos stated within the letter, including that the decision-making would have been a lot slower if the group had frolicked making an attempt to persuade him.

A helpful phrase that echos former Intel CEO Andy Grove’s administration philosophy

The bigger idea seems to additionally echo a administration philosophy that dates again to the Nineteen Eighties, when the late Andy Grove, recognized for his intense administration model, ran Intel.

Grove’s biographer, Richard S. Tedlow, advised BI that it might be “very exhausting” to agree with Grove. Nonetheless, the idea of disagreeing and committing “was the essence of how he felt it is best to comport your self at Intel,” he stated.

“Disagree after which commit was a philosophy that you just struggle like cats and canine, however as soon as the choice is made, everyone’s pulling in the identical path,” Tedlow stated.

Whereas Tedlow is not sure if Grove ever coined the precise phrase, he stated it embodied the tradition at Intel throughout the government’s time main the corporate.

A CEO acceding to a lower-level worker who is likely to be nearer to an issue is an instance of how the thought of disagree and commit might be helpful, Christopher Myers, college director of the Middle for Modern Management on the Johns Hopkins Carey Enterprise College, advised BI.

In a 2024 interview with Lex Fridman, Bezos expanded on the philosophy and stated that corporations “have a tendency to arrange hierarchically,” usually leaving the CEO to make the ultimate name. Oftentimes, the CEO may not agree with the choice they make — nonetheless, Bezos stated that is higher than compromising or giving in to whoever is most cussed.

“The benefit of compromise as a decision mechanism is that it is low vitality, however it would not result in fact,” Bezos stated. “And so in issues like the peak of the ceiling the place fact is a noble factor, you should not permit compromise for use when you possibly can know the reality.”

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has since adopted the phrase, and it is turn into a pillar of the corporate’s management rules outlined on the corporate’s web site. The precept emphasizes that when a call is made, leaders totally decide to it.

In recent times, the phrase seems to have advanced into disagree and commit — or depart. In a 2023 inside hearth chat about Amazon’s return-to-office coverage, Jassy advised workers it was time to “disagree and commit,” including that “it is most likely not going to work out” for these at Amazon who do not achieve this.

Meta’s CTO took an identical method when telling staffers to depart in the event that they did not like the corporate’s latest coverage adjustments.

“Until you’re referring to the coverage adjustments, through which case Mark spent fairly some time speaking by means of them, it simply appears like you do not agree,” Bosworth stated as BI first reported. “In that case, you possibly can depart or disagree and commit.”

In its purest type, Myers stated the disagree and commit mantra might be helpful as a result of it might remind organizations that productive battle is effective.