Or asked another way…
Sometimes the “correct story” as I see it is not how others see it. Given that some things are unknown or unknowable, how is my opinion of what the reality is any more valid than the opinions of others?
Let’s begin with what we all know: information is never perfect and rarely complete. You can always rely on that in business! If perfect information were possible, there would be little question or debate. And, as you know, if you wait for information to be complete, you will almost certainly miss the moment.
In the absence of perfection or complete information, judgement is required.
As a leader, using good judgement and telling yourself the correct story is one of your most critical responsibilities. But not everyone sees it the same way as you do, and due to the information “gaps,” it’s impossible to absolutely prove your version or to disprove others’, no matter how unlikely they are.
The key to telling yourself the correct story is to be objective. Too often, the story we tell ourselves (and others) falls somewhere between our hopes and our fears; our wants and what we want to avoid. In short, the story is based on us rather than on the issue at hand. As the leader, your goal is to view things objectively. This doesn’t mean as the leader you are “always right.” It does mean you are responsible for gathering all reasonably available information, all valid points of view, and assembling them into a rational (reality-based) story.
When someone proposes a story that is not reality-based, it is usually done out of selfish insincerity. People often squeeze some of the most fantastical and unlikely premises into these information gaps. They do it simply because it serves their interest and they think their “story” cannot be disproven. This can take the form, for example, of someone who has been repeatedly trained in a procedure and who performs it regularly, taking a shortcut that results in a bad outcome and saying they “forgot.” It’s impossible to say what is going on inside someone else’s head, but this statement strains believability. A reality-based assessment tells us the person almost certainly knew what they were doing — when they circumvented the procedure and/or safe-work practice.
It’s critical that leaders don’t consider, debate, or otherwise lend any credibility to obviously self-serving, incorrect stories. The best thing to do is to look the other person in the eye and say, “That’s not the way I see it” and move on. Don’t worry that you cannot “prove” it. The other people on the team, the ones that are reality-based, will see it in pretty much the same way that you do. They will appreciate working for a rational and predictable leader. And, they will know they can perform their jobs with the confidence that the right decisions will always be made, given the best information available.
– By Ken Chapman, Ph.D.
