Making Decisoins Without Blinders On

In the April issue of HBR, an article by James Hackett references something called cognitive blinders. Cognitive blinders "prevent a person from seeing, seeking, using or sharing highly relevant, easily accessible, and readily perceivable information during the decision-making process."

Though the article was about a product launch, this one thing has been the most revelatory piece of information that I've learned in a long time.

I've long since been aware that when in a place when a decision needs to be made quickly, or has significant consequences behind it, the average person's ability to make an effective decision decreases significantly. It's the can't see the forest for the trees analogy. I've often compared it as soldiers in the heat of battle can't see the war. And just as the General used to sit on the hill on his horse to direct the battle, we should each have a General in our life to help us evaluate our decisions when we are in the heat of battle.

Unfortunately, many of us think we are talented enough that we don't need help, or we are ashamed that we will look weak if we ask for help and as a result, we never ask. This isolationist attitude is your quickest way to making a bad decision and it is what has led me to develop a network of people, both personal and professional that I can run scenarios by to get their feedback on so while I'm wearing cognitive blinders they can objectively see what is actually going on.

The Networking Must Go On

With the recent fame of my first television appearance, I just missed out on the opportunity to be seen again Tuesday. Something about a little fire on the other side of town seemed to draw the media away from the press conference I was going to be speaking at, so they postponed it until later. All sarcasm aside, I am glad, and we are very fortunate that things weren't much worse than they turned out to be, but they are bad enough as it is.

Despite all the events of the day, the networking must go on.

The press conference was for a new group my office is involved in starting called the Rising Professionals. A great place for young professionals to get together and build relationships with other young professionals in the community.

Tessa Nelson from the Colorado Springs Business Journal writes a great article describing the importance of networking and gives some solid basics on how to network. The one statement that sums it up for me is:

You have to sell yourself to the person that you are talking to and make them want to talk with you. Walk up and introduce yourself, tell them where you work and what you do, or if you don’t have a job tell them that you have recently graduated, what your degree is in and what you are interested in doing.
Whatever you talk about, exude confidence and be genuinely interested in what they have to say. Make sure you ask questions about them and what they do. The conversation is going to be short-lived if you only talk about yourself.

Good point Tessa, and it was great seeing you last night.