Some of our hardest questions are hard simply because the situation is complex and the possible outcomes are fuzzy and abstract. Knowing how to make a good decision, and how to sustain one, is hard. But it doesn’t have to be. There is a way to be able to sort through the fuzziness and get to the heart of what matters.
The Myth of Best Practices
I’m a process geek. You might safely assume, then, that I would be a fan of “best practices.” You would be very wrong. Best practices generally aren’t. Unlike the promised intent, there is usually more than one best way to proceed in a given situation. We ignore that at our peril.
Doing The Work We Were Meant To Do
We want to do good work. We aspire to do amazing, transcendent work. That doesn’t happen very often. When it does happen, it is very good indeed. What is critical is recognizing what allows us to actually do it.
What’s The Point Of Planning?
Planning is supposed to be virtuous. Good for us. And yet, plans usually change. To-dos don’t get done. Life gets in the way. And our planning systems don’t keep up. So just what’s the point?
Confidence vs. Competence
We have an enormous tendency to confuse confidence with competence. We want someone who can do the work, but we tend to trust the person that looks the part. Doing so is inherently dangerous, and points to some significant biases we may not even recognize.
It Depends
The most common answer to questions that I provide is, “It depends.” Not because I’m being difficult; because it’s the truth. Yet I find I dislike this answer as much as the next person. Nonetheless, it is what opens the doorway to opportunity and possibility.