Follow-up test
Practical Wisdom
Do you create sufficient times for quiet and calm, reflective thinking on what you are doing and what you could be doing?
Are you a master of time management?
Are you aware when people are making claims to knowledge that they don’t have – even when you are the speaker?
What is your record in judging people? In selecting and promoting individuals, which of the following statements characterizes your approach?
You can always pick a winner, and never consult anyone else or seek specialist advice.
You go by first impressions. Even if you think you are wrong you usually return to them in the end.
You take people-decisions slowly. You like to consult others who know the person, often on a confidential basis.
You do not trust your own first thought.
You like to see a person in a variety of different situations before making up your mind. Track record is an important factor to you, more so than psychological tests and the like.
You rarely choose a person on technical grounds alone, unless they are working on their own. You try to see them in the context of being a team leader or member, and judge whether they will get on well with the individuals in that group.
How do you rate yourself as far as judgement in decision making is concerned:
- Good: Your decisions usually have the predicted results, you can foresee consequences and are rarely surprised at outcomes. You are shrewd and discerning at all times.
- Average: Your predictions of consequences are accurate about half the time. Your common sense is often proved right.
- Weak: Poor judgement often mars your performance. You tend to guess too much what will result from a given decision, and are frequently wrong.
Can you think of two individuals you know – a man and a woman – who show in their lives and business practical wisdom, that rare combination of intelligence, experience and goodness?