Decisions

I've decided to create a blog space, especially for my clients, but others may want to join in from time to time. The major subjects will be leadership issues, values and ethics, and governance. There are certainly enough poor examples around and the literature is full of how to, and I'll contribute my two cents worth to that conversation.

The Harvard Business Review this month (June '07) has a wonderful article on how successful leaders think and their knack or ability to hold (and ponder) two opposing views and/or possible solutions at the same time and then find a new solution that solves the apparent dilemma between what seemed at first an obligatory choice - perhaps even a hobsian choice, neither of which is quite the right answer - or even undesirable options! What most people do is think and solve dichotomously, analyzing which is the best choice using the usual decision tools. What these leaders do is reject that forced choice (and the tools that go with it) and hold and reflect on both simultaneously (so to speak) in all there complexity and find a new solution that meets their objective and finesses the dilemma they thought they were in.

The good news, according to the authors is that skill of thinking can be learned, and they give the basic approach.

Read the article, work on applying it, and bring a higher level of problem solving to your decision-making, creating fresher and better solutions.

Dick Biery