#194 chess

We recently had a candidate on campus who framed decision making in an interesting light.  He said that the hard part about making a decision isn't making the decision; it is looking ahead at the chessboard to understand the implications of the second and third move.  Understanding the consequences of making the decision -- or of not making the decision -- are what constitute the hard part of the process.

During the course of my day, I am asked to make many decisions.  For the most part, I am equipped with enough information to have the context required to make a choice.  But in those cases where the decision isn't clear or when I don't really understand the nuances of the options, I am not shy about saying that I need more time to "ponder". 

The world is moving fast and we all need to act quickly.  But decision making, like chess, is a game that requires thought.  Don't act so fast that you fail to take time to consider the impact of your choices.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
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