I\u2019ve joked for years that I\u2019m the turd in the punch bowl. I\u2019m rarely afraid to say what I think, even when I know it won\u2019t be popular. That\u2019s not because I enjoy being contrarian. It\u2019s because I\u2019ve always believed that if you have expertise and conviction, you shouldn\u2019t be afraid to use your voice.<\/p>\n
Over the years, that has come with a price.<\/p>\n
When I worked at a producing TPA, I believed the industry\u2019s practice of hiding fees from plan sponsors had to end. Transparency wasn\u2019t a radical concept to me, but it certainly wasn\u2019t embraced by everyone. I\u2019ve also never been shy about saying that many payroll provider TPAs simply don\u2019t deliver the level of service or technical expertise that independent TPAs often provide. Those opinions don\u2019t earn you invitations to every conference cocktail party. They don\u2019t make you everyone\u2019s favorite person.<\/p>\n
What they do is make people remember your name.<\/p>\n
Too many people are uncomfortable when someone has a different opinion. The most secure professionals will debate the issue on its merits. The insecure ones take it personally. They view disagreement as an attack instead of an opportunity to challenge their own thinking.<\/p>\n
I saw that growing up as well. Whenever I disagreed with my parents on politics, sports, or just about anything else, the response was often that I had been \u201cbrainwashed.\u201d It couldn\u2019t simply be that I had reached a different conclusion. For some people, accepting that someone they care about thinks differently is harder than believing someone else must have manipulated them.<\/p>\n
Having opinions won\u2019t make everyone like you. It may cost you business opportunities, friendships, or invitations. But if your opinions are thoughtful, honest, and backed by experience, they\u2019re worth expressing.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d rather be remembered for saying what I believe than forgotten for saying nothing at all.<\/p>\n
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