On Seeking Counsel

You will never have all the facts

Photo by Startaê Team on Unsplash

In Annie Duke's latest book (Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away), she reminds us of two realities that cause decision-making to be so tricky:

1. We will never have all the facts we need before making a decision.

2. And after we make a decision, new facts will present themselves.

This is why sometimes we stress out before making a decision: We know we don't know what we don't know (you might need to re-read that sentence slowly to track with it 😊).

This is also why sometimes we freak out after we make a decision and new facts begin to present themselves that cause us to say things like, "If I had known this Old Navy t-shirt was going to shrink after one wash, then I would have never bought it in the first place!"

You and I can do nothing to change these realities. As David Morrison says, "It is what it is."

However, one practice can improve our decision-making: seeking counsel.

Seeking counsel allows us to learn from those a few steps ahead. If they are a few steps ahead, they’ve already encountered some "new facts," and they can share those with us.

When I fly, a pilot often comes on the intercom and says, "Sorry for the bumpy flight. We didn't anticipate this. Some of the planes ahead of us have said it doesn't get much better, so we're going to change the altitude to try and find some smoother air."

That's the benefit of learning from those who have already encountered "new facts." You can make adjustments now rather than later.

Do not fret if you are in the middle of making a decision and feeling overwhelmed.

1. This is normal - take a deep breath.

2. You'll never have all the facts.

3. Seek counsel from someone a few steps ahead.

4. Make a decision and start moving in a direction.

5. As new facts present themselves, adjust accordingly.

Remember, a mark of a great leader isn't necessarily making the best plans; it's making the best adjustments.

As Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."

Make a plan, then adjust. This is the way.