What would be your 'go to' formula for making clear and well-informed decisions that take into consideration not only the intellectual element but also the emotional component - particularly fear?
Furthermore, put your reflections in the context of world government leaders who are, as you read this, making life/death decisions on how to contain the coronavirus. What are the high stakes risks of process loss in situations like a pandemic?
I found an underlying theme within the Snowden/Boone, and Watkins articles. Nothing ages well. Mark Manson's article, "Why I'm Wrong About Everything (And So Are You)," provided great insight ahead of disgesting these two articles. Please follow me here, as I'm going a roundabout way to answer this week's questions.
Within Snowden/Boone discussing complex contexts, we saw the evolution of YouTube cited. It was unpredictable that this platform would have the opportunity to host a magnitude of creative thoughts. They alluded to this success stating, "YouTube has become a popular platform for expanding political views." Interestingly, the increase of this "political" content has attributed to much of the pandemic process loss. Since there is so much information available and so many unique perspectives, we find ourselves in silos of what we individually know to be "true." Our silos vary drastically amongst the whole, and we were (and still are) void of a unified vision to get through the coronavirus pandemic. Snowden/Boone advised that in a chaotic context, that a leader must:
First: "Act to establish order."
Second: "Sense where stability is present and from where it is absent."
Third: "respond by working to transform the situation from chaos to complexity, where the identification of emerging patterns can both help prevent future crises and DISCERN NEW OPPORTUNITIES."
We did not heed this advice. The lack of stability, perpetuated by our divisiveness and a deficiency of understanding of the correct actions to take, led to our process loss. That process loss is premature death, psychological distress, physical illness, negative economic impact (at family and firm levels), missed experiences, and, for many, greater distrust in America (domestically and abroad).
Where I find the most wisdom in this article was "discern new opportunities" amid the crisis. We, unfortunately, squandered this opportunity to reunite a divided nation. Here's what utilizing this advice may have looked like:
- Identify COVID-19 as a common enemy across all affiliations
- Create a consensus that the preservation of human life should be our #1 goal as a nation.
- Explain that this is a time in our nation's history where we need to live up to our name "united" and think of "US" moving forward together. Explain that the only way to achieve the shared goal is for folks to help strangers
- Reiterate the unified message (vision) at every opportunity possible. Repetition of a vision makes it sticky.
My 'go-to' formula for making clear and well-informed decisions is simple, TTP. Trust The Process. More accurately, Trust The (Cynefin Framework's) Process.
Identify if you are willing to change your leadership style. If not, identify who within your organization is best equipped to serve in the context(s) you're deficient. I.e., You may be able to handle "simple" and "complicated" contexts but need support for "complex" and "chaotic." Be honest to yourself, know your limitations and the strength of your team.
Review the Cynefin Framework and understand your role within your identified context(s). Ensure the individual(s) to whom you delegate context(s) to are also aware of the framework.
In a decision-making situation, identify who is best suited to take the lead. Let that individual lead.
Provide transparency and a unified message to all stakeholders involved within this decision-making process. Fear lives in the unknown. If you can provide all stakeholders with an understanding of the situation and how to proceed moving forward, much of the fear will subside.
Tying back to the underlying theme, I'll briefly share my take on why nothing ages well.
The improbable irony of the HBR piece, "Vision Decisions."
Watkins praised the vision statement, "Restoring the Joy of Motion," created by Depuy, a Johnson and Johnson subsidiary that manufactured metal-on-metal hip implants. He shared, "It's an evocative encapsulation of the values the company creates for people suffering the debilitating pain of severe joint disease."
Fast forward a few years, these implants left many patients immobile and fighting cognitive impairments due to metal toxicity (roughly 1 in 20 patients). We understand and may agree that we should make allowances for errors, especially after last week's discussions around growth mindsets. However, this product's continual marketing after evidence of its danger becomes inexcusable and an example of how a company lost sight of its vision or potentially never valued it in the first place. "When visioning is an empty exercise, it fools no one," Watkins closed the piece.
"Vision Decisions" was written to inform the reader that vision statements aren't necessary for every circumstance. However, sandwiched in the middle of the piece was a company's vision that was "an evocative encapsulation of the values the company creates for people suffering..." Looking back at this article, less than five years later, we see an incredible irony that Depuy's inattention to their vision goes to prove this article's thesis. Not every culture would benefit from a vision, no matter how beautifully written.
