They really aren't just being stubborn.

There is always that one person in every meeting…the dissenting voice of reason…the one who is always “pushing back”. Most of the time, they aren’t being stubborn on purpose. Diversity of thought and perspective is needed to make sure we aren’t jumping in too fast, missing some key factors, or forgetting stakeholders who could be impacted. These are also the folks that help uncover blind spots and protect against group think. In a learning organization, these may also be the ones employing Double Loop Learning. This is where we ask why things are done the way they are and if they should stay that way. Think of it as doing the right thing vs just doing things right.