EXERCISE SOUND JUDGMENT
WHY IT MATTERS
Leaders have the final say for the most complex and critical decisions. They are counted on to make the right choice in both small and large matters. They know their decisions can affect the outcomes and future of the organization and its people either for good or for bad. Leaders that exercise sound judgment break down every situation, assess it, pull it apart, and accurately determine the best way to move forward. Even when time is short, and the pressure is on, they make the right call. Leaders that lack sound judgment may rush to assumptions, hurry decisions, or read situations incorrectly. They put everything at risk by their inability to correctly determine what should be done when faced with competing paths to choose from.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that exercise sound judgment are trusted to consistently make the right decisions. They have developed reliable “street smarts.” They apply their past experience to solve today’s problems. They rely on their hard-won expertise and their common sense. What is not so obvious to others is more readily obvious to them. In tough situations, they can tell what needs to be done through critical thinking. They are confided in and invited to lend their insight into important questions.
Leaders that exercise sound judgment are cautious in their decision-making process, but do not take so long to make decisions their opportunities pass them by. They don’t rush to make decisions until they are sure what needs to be done. They don’t surrender to the pressure of making a decision at the risk of making the wrong decision. They decipher which decisions are worthy of heavy time investment and which can do with less.
Leaders that exercise sound judgment don’t rely on their own expertise alone. Before looking forwards they look backwards, and draw upon knowledge and insight from the past. They look to the lessons of history to find answers for today. They counsel with others instead of working in a silo.
Leaders that exercise sound judgment don’t accept the first good decision that presents itself. They dig deeper until they have considered every option. They ask the right questions, analyze every scenario, and think through potential consequences. They deliberately choose which path to take instead of hoping they get it right.
Leaders that exercise sound judgment rely on data and facts to inform their decisions. They check their assumptions. They ensure data is valid and representative. They see through the data that is less relevant to identify the data that is at the core of the issues being considered.
Leaders that exercise sound judgment are sensitive to the consequences of their decisions on others. They think through how individuals, groups, the organization at large, and all stakeholders will be affected by the actions they choose to take.
Leaders that exercise sound judgment know when to just trust their instincts. They know that not every situation will have a perfect answer. When those times present themselves, they are willing to take an informed leap of faith and do what they feel is the right thing to do.
BELIEFS
SELF-REFLECTION
WORDS OF CAUTION
Leaders have the final say for the most complex and critical decisions. They are counted on to make the right choice in both small and large matters. They know their decisions can affect the outcomes and future of the organization and its people either for good or for bad. Leaders that exercise sound judgment break down every situation, assess it, pull it apart, and accurately determine the best way to move forward. Even when time is short, and the pressure is on, they make the right call. Leaders that lack sound judgment may rush to assumptions, hurry decisions, or read situations incorrectly. They put everything at risk by their inability to correctly determine what should be done when faced with competing paths to choose from.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that exercise sound judgment are trusted to consistently make the right decisions. They have developed reliable “street smarts.” They apply their past experience to solve today’s problems. They rely on their hard-won expertise and their common sense. What is not so obvious to others is more readily obvious to them. In tough situations, they can tell what needs to be done through critical thinking. They are confided in and invited to lend their insight into important questions.
Leaders that exercise sound judgment are cautious in their decision-making process, but do not take so long to make decisions their opportunities pass them by. They don’t rush to make decisions until they are sure what needs to be done. They don’t surrender to the pressure of making a decision at the risk of making the wrong decision. They decipher which decisions are worthy of heavy time investment and which can do with less.
Leaders that exercise sound judgment don’t rely on their own expertise alone. Before looking forwards they look backwards, and draw upon knowledge and insight from the past. They look to the lessons of history to find answers for today. They counsel with others instead of working in a silo.
Leaders that exercise sound judgment don’t accept the first good decision that presents itself. They dig deeper until they have considered every option. They ask the right questions, analyze every scenario, and think through potential consequences. They deliberately choose which path to take instead of hoping they get it right.
Leaders that exercise sound judgment rely on data and facts to inform their decisions. They check their assumptions. They ensure data is valid and representative. They see through the data that is less relevant to identify the data that is at the core of the issues being considered.
Leaders that exercise sound judgment are sensitive to the consequences of their decisions on others. They think through how individuals, groups, the organization at large, and all stakeholders will be affected by the actions they choose to take.
Leaders that exercise sound judgment know when to just trust their instincts. They know that not every situation will have a perfect answer. When those times present themselves, they are willing to take an informed leap of faith and do what they feel is the right thing to do.
BELIEFS
- The best way to learn good judgment is to learn from other people and their mistakes and victories.
- Experiences only build sound judgment if you purposefully pause to reflect on what they are teaching you.
- Having sound judgment doesn’t mean knowing everything, it means knowing when to reach out and ask for help.
- Never stop at the first good option that presents itself. There will always be a better choice if you keep digging deeper.
- Every decision has far reaching consequences that can never be fully anticipated, but you have to try and anticipate them anyway.
- You only get one chance to make the right decision, so be purposeful in what you do.
- The only thing worse than taking too much or too little time to make a decision is making the wrong decision.
- Before answering the question in front of you, make sure it is really the question that needs to be answered.
- Identify which facts really matter.
- Use a purposeful decision-making process.
- Know which decisions deserve your investment.
- Explore every path before choosing one.
- Make decisions in a timely manner.
- Don’t rush just because you feel pressure.
- Know the right questions to ask.
- Be able to defend your decisions.
- Make the right decision even if it isn’t popular.
- Do not accept the first answer you see.
- Be sure to answer the right question.
- Rely on data to help inform your decisions.
- Use your intuition, but doesn’t rely on it.
- Have a backup plan in case you are wrong.
- Be willing to make the tough decisions.
- Consider the effects of your decisions on people.
- Rely on the experiences and insights of others.
- Do not try and be the hero in every situation.
- Consider your decision’s consequences.
- Learn from the lessons of the past.
- Learn all you can about an issue.
- Check your assumptions to see if they are right.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I rely on the lessons of history to solve today’s problems, or do I fail to take advantage of the lessons of the past?
- Do I trust my “common sense” and “gut instinct” in helping me make decisions, or do I always question myself?
- Do I consciously make decisions at just the right time, or do I make decisions too fast or too slow?
- Do I know which decisions are worth heavy investment and which are not, or do I invest in all decisions equally?
- Do I rely on other people’s sound judgment to help me make decisions, or do I think I can do it by myself?
- Do I analyze questions from every angle and dig until I find every option, or do I accept the first option I find?
- Do I rely on data and facts to inform my thinking and decision-making process, or do I fail to use data to help me?
- Do I anticipate the long-term consequences of my decisions, or do I never see past their immediate impact?
WORDS OF CAUTION
- Don’t think you are so smart you don’t need the thinking and contributions of others to help you make the right decisions.
- Don’t rely on just data, or just gut instincts to make decisions. The right answer is usually found somewhere between the two.
- Don’t rely on your “street smarts” or “gut instincts” so much you rush important decisions or pass on doing the needed homework.
- I find myself naturally transitioning from work to my family.
- I have found that if I throw out what I know, a new way of doing things will be presented.
- I can predict stumbling blocks.
- I can quickly assess a situation and make sound decisions.
- I have never quite been where I want to be.
- I know when I have enough information to make a decision.