Assuming Best Intentions is Bullsh*t

Post date: 2019-12-11 17:13:59

I work in education, and it's a big part of the culture to discuss norms before every meeting. One team member always says the guiding norm should be to assume best intention, but that really rubs me the wrong way and I need help rephrasing the sentiment.

I am not a fan of "assume best intentions" because I've found that it has a tendency to give people a pass. So there's entitled behavior, sexism, racism, all sorts of generally obnoxious behavior and it ends up getting a pass and undermines diversity because you know, let's assume best intentions.

Here's a situation (not real): Kevin in the school library books a Scholastic book fair to fundraise and get books for the library, and the team says that creates serious equity issues they would prefer we not fundraise this way. Kevin gets fighty and says he's just raising money and why are we not assuming best intentions, and Karen responds that best intentions doesn't mean you get to run with thoughtless ideas all the time (apparently there's history here) because you're an entitled white man who doesn't understand rural poverty.

This type of thing happens weekly in this district where I work, and I'd like us to move beyond this assuming best intention area into something slightly more helpful.

What are other guiding norms that successful teams use that encourage thought and responsibility and vulnerability?

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