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Intelligence, talent, and mega-watt careers are no match for the force of a little bad judgment.
Tiger, John Edwards, and Mark McGuire, for instance, were more likely derailed for lack of judgment than lack of intelligence.
Intelligence is a measure of our memory and deliberative skills, but it doesn't guarantee we'll use these skills when the situation demands. We have to consciously employ our ability to reason and use a few of the following tips to avoid making decisions we'll regret.
- Talk it through. Discuss it with someone who is unlikely to agree. Counterarguments may help clarify your thinking, and will add some teeth to your argument.
- Fast forward. By imagining the future and the likely results of your decision, you may discover complications that weren't obvious before.
- Check your emotions. The term "loss aversion" refers to the human emotional response that forces us to hold onto a bad investment (or relationship, job, etc.) because we already have so much invested that it's hard for us to believe that it was a bad decision.
- Identify biases. The fact is, we are biased in every single situation. There's no such thing as true objectivity. Good leaders reduce the odds of making bad decisions by illuminating potential biases.
- Weigh all options equally. When processing information to make our decisions, we pay more attention to what we discover first and last. We risk missing something important in between.
- Beware of spin. We are easily influenced by the way something is framed. For instance, we're more likely to spend money immediately if it's called a bonus rather than a rebate.
- Look beyond the obvious. Don't accept the first thing that comes to mind.
- Take a break. Do something to get your mind off the problem for a while. Putting some "cognitive distance" between ourselves and our problem can help us see it more clearly.
- Don't rely on secrecy. It's the shakiest sort of security.
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HERE they are!
Answers to the 3 questions in January 13, Hot Flash.
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- 5 minutes.
- The ball cost $.05.
- 47 days.
Shane Frederick; Yale School of Management
Check our Fan Page to see who weighed in with their answers!
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MORE.com
features a Flashionista article!
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