Recently I was watching a video by Daniel G. Amen about the brain. He listed some questions to counteract negative thoughts. Briefly, his advice was to write a thought down and answer these questions.
- Is it true?
- Do I know this for sure?
- How do I feel when I have this thought?
- How would I feel or who would I be without this thought?
- Is the opposite thought true?
As managers, we have to apply at least the first two questions in almost all situations - both positive and negative. In a busy day, acting on assumptions is very easy. While it would be stifling to not act on any assumptions, for important decisions, asking the question "Is it true and do I know this for sure?" could mean the difference between a good decision and a disastrous one.
In management "It" refers to many factors, such as the background presented by others, the financial analysis, the forecast, the precipitating circumstances, even the necessity for a decision. Without falling to decision-making paralysis, as managers we are responsible for asking enough questions to be satisfied that most of the factors are "known for sure", rather than being a series of assumptions by many participants.
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