Trish's Blog

Most of the time, workplaces are full of nods, smiles, and quiet compliance. Everyone wants to be liked. Everyone wants to fit in. Everyone stays silent.

And what does that get you? Nothing. Problems don’t vanish. They fester. They grow. They mutate under new labels while the team convinces itself that “everything is fine.” Meetings end. Decisions are made. Mistakes repeat. And no one admits it until it’s too late.

Here’s a brutal truth: agreement is cheap. Thinking is expensive but that is exactly what you were hired to do.

Why Silence Is a Lie

When you hold back your perspective to protect comfort, you’re not protecting the team. You’re protecting the problem. You’re letting recurring mistakes survive. You’re letting weak assumptions go unchallenged. You’re letting bad decisions slide because nobody had the courage to say what they actually saw.

Speaking up is uncomfortable. It’s risky. It might ruffle feathers. Teams that survive and thrive aren’t polite; they’re open.

Weird Wisdom® at Work

This is where Weird Wisdom® comes in. Real value doesn’t come from false harmony. It comes from people willing to see what others ignore, challenge what everyone else accepts, and speak what no one else will voice.

When you stop pretending and start thinking:

• Blind spots get exposed before they become disasters.
• Decisions sharpen because assumptions are tested.
• Mistakes stop repeating themselves because someone finally calls them out.

You’re not paid to blend in. You’re paid to think. You’re paid to be uncomfortable. You’re paid to make the work smarter, faster, and better.

Stop Protecting Comfort. Start Protecting Reality.

Every time you nod along, you’re enabling autopilot. You’re letting small problems become big ones. You’re letting mediocrity pass as consensus.

So here’s the question: are you being liked, or are you being useful?

Stop pretending. Start thinking. Say what you see. Break the cycles. Force the team to deal with reality. The work will improve. The results will be undeniable. And everyone will notice the difference you actually make.