Why We Need More Rough Edges Again
About clarity, effectiveness and the courage to be uncomfortable
Why caution and good publicity don’t solve problems
Sometimes I get the impression that we approach the challenges of our time with a strange kind of caution. We formulate carefully, weigh every word, and make sure not to step on anyone’s toes. The main goal seems to be: no contradiction, no irritation, no bad publicity. That may feel calming in the short term, but it doesn’t solve a single problem. On the contrary: it makes many things harder to grasp.
Lack of clarity doesn’t come from ignorance – but from lack of courage
We live in a time when clarity is urgently needed. Economically, socially, humanly. And yet this clarity often seems to be missing. Not because people don’t know what needs to be done. But because they no longer dare to say it. Because ambition is confused with hardness and attitude is confused with being uncomfortable.
But effectiveness rarely arises from being pleasing. It arises where people have the courage to move forward. With confidence. With determination. And with an inner compass that knows more than approval or rejection.
Effectiveness doesn’t start on the outside, but on the inside
To truly be effective, however, it takes more than outward courage. It requires honesty on the inside. Clarity about our own motives, about what drives us, but also about what holds us back. About our potential, our conditioning, our personality. In my work, I repeatedly experience that this knowledge has been lost. Not out of indifference, but because everyday life is loud and leaves little room for truly looking inward.
Without this inner clarity, decisions remain hesitant – or they become authoritarian. Neither leads to sustainable collaboration.
Respect does not mean agreement – it means relationship despite differences
A key factor, in my view, lies in respectful communication. Respect does not mean that we always have to agree. Quite the opposite. Respect means being able to say: I can understand what you are saying – and still don’t have to agree.
This attitude opens up space. It allows for differences without destroying relationships. It makes discussions possible without diminishing people. And it is the foundation on which responsibility is taken instead of hiding behind polished wording.
The Menschfaktor® Code: How collaboration emerges when truths touch
Another thought that has accompanied me for years is what I call the Menschfaktor® Code. Behind it lies a simple but powerful idea: our truths don’t have to be identical. But we can enlarge the overlap between them.
The larger this overlap becomes, the more resilient collaboration becomes. Not because conflicts disappear, but because they can be understood and placed into context. Misunderstandings lose their sting when we understand the inner logic from which another person acts. That is exactly where orientation emerges.
What I learned about conflict from my childhood in the mining settlement
I grew up in a mining area. One thing I particularly appreciated there: many people wore their heart on their sleeve. My neighbor told me exactly what he thought. Sometimes very directly. But I always knew where I stood. And no matter how intensely we argued over the garden fence – a few minutes later, out on the street, everything was fine again.
People lent each other tools, helped each other out, and kept going. Disagreement wasn’t a problem. Disrespect was. And I miss a piece of that culture today.
Why real conversations need spaces where even the quiet ones become visible
In my work I use dialog formats such as LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, among others. Not because it’s about bricks, but because it’s about spaces for thinking and possibility. When people start thinking in images, conversations change.
Suddenly the quiet ones begin to speak – those who often see a lot but say little. Perspectives become visible that would otherwise be lost in conventional discussions. A space emerges in which people don’t just describe problems, but possibilities. And that is exactly what we need: more thinking in possibilities instead of being focused on being right.
Uncover strengths instead of optimizing people
Ultimately, all these approaches pursue the same goal: to make visible what makes people strong. Not to optimize or smooth them out. But to uncover what sustains them.
Where strengths are recognized, clarity emerges. Where clarity emerges, people take responsibility. And that is where collaboration becomes truly effective again – even under pressure.
Why economic success and humanity only work well together
Economic efficiency and humanity are not opposites. They need one another. And they emerge where people have the courage to be clear. With themselves. And with others.
Maybe we really do need more rough edges again. More honest confrontation. And the trust that respect and clarity actually go together beautifully.
That is exactly what I talk about on stage – not as theory, but as an invitation to rethink collaboration.
About the author:
Karsten Homann is an expert in leadership, team dynamics and effective communication – shaped by more than 25 years of leadership experience in medium-sized companies, including over 20 years as an entrepreneur. As the developer of MENSCHCODE®, he reveals what makes teams strong, decodes unconscious dynamics and combines psychology, practical applicability and interactivity to create effective collaboration.
