24
Think—Don’t React

Robert Frost once said: “The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office.”

Too often this can be true among managers. You’ve probably run across at least one of them. Almost like a natural reflex, the brain shuts down and they react automatically. Ironically, many of these individuals are probably sharp, intelligent, and well-intentioned people. But one knee-jerk reaction too many and they begin to lose credibility and influence.

Sadly, their reactions are often the result of fear.

Explosive conflicts in decision making can be the result of fear, and so can avoiding making a decision all together. Fear can lead to poor decisions made without having all the necessary facts. Unchecked, fear can quickly carry you away from your vision.

So what drives fear in decisions? Sometimes it’s personal insecurity or pressure from the boss. Or maybe it’s just burnout.

But there is a cure for this management disorder; it’s called “thinking.” Reacting is merely action driven by emotions, rather than rationale. Thinking, however, is the antidote because it is decision making based on analysis—analysis of facts, theories, and input from others who may have “been there, done that.” This collection of information is known as a base of knowledge, and all good decisions are made on this basis.

Cool rationale, however, can only come by way of an open mind that is ready to ask questions, listen, and truly understand. It puts action to the side, while the brain gets busy considering all information available. That’s why the research step of decision-making is so crucial. Though you can never have all the data, this should not preclude you from having as much as you can gather in a given situation.