Can Reasonable People Disagree? (Happily, with the help of AI)
If you’re a client of mine who has met with me over the past couple of months, you’ve probably heard me mention the imminent release of Google’s Gemini 3.0 AI model. This is the brain behind the Gemini App, the image generation tool, and NotebookLM.
Perhaps you’ve noticed me trying to contain my excitement regarding all the hype around this update.
Well, it’s now been out for a couple of weeks, and in my opinion, it’s one of those unusual occasions where the AI hype cycle truly delivered. I am very impressed with the results I’m getting from 3.0. I’m getting faster, more accurate, and more thorough results that are reliably aligned with my personal and professional goals, especially when I use the version trained on my customized AI profile.
But the most powerful upgrade isn't speed. It's reasoning.
What is "Reasoning" Anyway?
Recently, while meeting with a friend and colleague, we were chatting about Gemini’s new capabilities, and he asked, “What is reasoning anyway?”
I didn’t have a quick answer. It's a word we throw around, but in the context of AI, it means something specific. It’s not just "thinking." Reasoning is the ability to hold a complex problem in memory, break it down into steps, and explore the "why" before jumping to the "what."
It’s the difference between a reflex and a reflection.
The Empathy Engine
This new capability has profound implications for how we work and live. We often talk about AI for productivity, efficiency, and speed. But Gemini 3.0 is our first real tool for perspective (clarity).
At times when I encounter people who behave in unexpected ways (especially my kids), I try to understand the reason behind that behavior. It’s a cause-and-effect relationship.
While traveling over Thanksgiving, I noticed my kid’s previously neatly packed suitcase exploded all over the room. The mess was the effect, and my job as a parent was to track down the cause. Turns out, he was looking for a toy buried in a jacket pocket. Diving deeper, he needed that toy to help him sleep. Understanding his reason helped me be a more empathetic parent.
Now, apply that to business. When I see someone post something online I disagree with, or a colleague pushes back on a project, my initial impulse is to think, “What an idiot!”
I’ve been using Gemini to help me intercept that thought and understand the reason someone might hold a different point of view, using prompts like:
"Why is there so much resistance to electric vehicles?"
"What is the rational argument for taking up two parking spaces?"
"How could someone be happy the Dodgers won The World Series?"
The answers I get from Gemini frequently soften my opinion, open my mind to different perspectives, and strengthen my ability to empathize.
The ROI of Reasoning
I wonder how many of those spicy Thanksgiving table conversations around the country last week could have been more harmonious if we all had the ability to understand the reasons behind otherwise baffling comments.
More importantly, how many professional disagreements could be turned into positive outcomes if we took 10 seconds to ask for those reasons?
When you see an effect that you don’t fully understand, asking a bot for possible causes might help you and your team build the kind of cooperative culture that leads to more wellbeing and success.
Gemini and other AI tools are becoming invaluable assets for understanding those reasons without unnecessarily turning up the temperature.
Although I’m still trying to understand Dodgers fans.
Best,
Kevin
P.S. If your team is struggling with communication friction or alignment, we should talk. I’m currently booking Stage 1 Workshops where we don't just teach prompts—we teach this exact kind of AI-assisted reasoning to build better, more empathetic cultures.
