Have you ever encountered a problem where you immediately knew what to do? I have. Have you ever encountered a problem where you didn’t know what to do, but knew you should really have at least an informed idea? I have. So, what’s the difference between these two scenarios? Preparation. Now, I recognize that you cannot be prepared for every problem or situation you encounter. But you can get closer to making better informed decisions by becoming a student of the challenges you regularly encounter.
In these time-pressed days, it can be easy to ignore the context around what you do simply because you’re so busy doing it. You might have thought, “I’d love to know more about the bigger picture, but who’s got the time?” or “Everything is so accessible on the web, I can just search for it when I need it.” But there is a difference between information and knowledge. Information is the facts and data you can find when you search online. This will provide you with the puzzle pieces for solving a problem or making a decision. Knowledge, however, is the capacity to know when and how to apply this information. It also provides you with the ability to discern the actual problem and not be misled by urgency, distractions, misguided information, or the temptation to make the popular or easy choice, especially if you feel pressured to do so.
But once again, you can’t be prepared for every single situation or scenario. So how are the best decision makers able to discern and decide in the midst of pressure and chaos when this eludes so many others? Here’s what I have observed and experienced.
First, develop a mindset for curiosity. Dr. Louis Pasteur, the biologist and chemist who invented the process of pasteurizing milk has been credited with the insight that, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” I like to alter that a little bit and argue that success favors the prepared mind. The person who reads, watches, discusses and debates others about a particular subject or discipline has a much better chance of being prepared when the unusual occurs. When you’re faced with the unexpected, your hunches will be better informed and you are more likely to make the right choice or come up with a better solution.
Second, act. Preparation will help you feel more confident in taking action when a challenge arises. Chances are you have heard the term paralysis by analysis. If you have served on committees or worked for large organizations, you have probably experienced this phenomenon first hand. (Hopefully, you have not been a source of it.) You might have thought to yourself, “Just make a decision!” Now, paralysis by analysis is not by caused by having too much information. It is caused by a lack of knowledge – knowledge that includes the ability to discern, the context to understand the larger picture, the stakeholders, possible downstream consequences and the experience of making similar decisions in the past that inform this one. Harvard professors, Dorothy Leonard and Walter Swap call this “deep smarts.” Deep smarts is what you witness when a decision maker is able to enter a situation, clearly define the challenge and offer a decision or solution faster than everyone else in the room. For any leader who wants to thrive, deep smarts is goal.
Third, collaborate. Most people buy into the idea that knowledge is power. But the best decision makers know that collaborative knowledge is power. Top leaders are not threatened by others’ knowledge and experience. They are curious about it and willing to share their own in order to benefit from the knowledge of peers. They ask questions, pose hypotheticals and case studies and seek opportunities for sharing insights with others whom they perceive share their curiosity and desire for knowledge. One pattern I have found in interviewing top decision makers is that they are curious about every person with whom they interact, so much so that I sometimes have to stop them from asking questions during the interview that I am conducting since we have a limited amount of time for the conversation. I love this enthusiasm and incisiveness.
So here’s your challenge for today. What areas inside of your work or another area of interest merits more investigation so that you have a broader knowledge of it to be better prepared in the future? Remember success favors the prepared mind.