How do you handle decisions that involve risk? Sure, you can look at data — but I would argue that at least 50% of your decisions in your career and in your life are not decided with the data, rather, with your gut. The numbers don’t tell the entire story. I’ve learned a thing or two about achieving success by listening to my gut when making decisions It is a learned discipline that pays off for a lifetime. Here are a few “gut” ideas that you may be able to use:
I’ve tried decision-by-committee in my career. I employ people whom I trust. I value the input of others. I want others to feel engaged, invested, and a part of the process. However, at the end of the day, if you’re the one writing the checks, the success and failure is completely on you. With risk, your gut deserves the primary focus. Stay open, seek opinions, collect data, and then trust your gut.
In my work with entrepreneurs and business leaders, I find most people do not give their gut the stage. The Gut gets tuned out, overshadowed, out-debated, and squashed! By what? Your powerful mind. Your mind is a potent device, but it behaves like a child at times. It wants gratification and it wants it now. It wants to be independent and yet yearns for validation. The “mind” is eager to overwhelm, rationalize, and dominate our gut if our gut doesn’t give it what it wants.
Consider the last many years and review some of the bigger decisions and turning points in your life. Did you take one job over another? Did you miss an opportunity? Did something turn into a disaster? Hindsight is valuable, and negative outcomes are the easiest to analyze. In any of your outcomes, to what extent did you initially rely on your gut? What did it tell you? Did it serve you well? Were you listening?
If we are listening, the gut usually will communicate one of the following three ways in any given scenario:
Gut responses of “Yes” or “No” are black and white and thus, easy to act on. The third option, “Not sure yet,” is equally valuable and is not used often enough. We get into trouble when we permit “maybe” to sneak in. That is the opportunity that our persuasive mind and people are looking for – to woo us into not following our gut. It’s much better to abstain for the moment. As my favorite rock band, Rush, sings in their song, Freewill, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”
When there is risk involved, our gut deserves a chance to be heard. Sometimes it takes hours, sometimes days, but time is not the point; accuracy is the point. Learn to trust your gut and take notice when it does great work.
Mike Whitaker is a CEO, author, and speaker who builds confidence in audiences everywhere on entrepreneurship, sales and marketing strategy, and leadership. To book Mike for your next event, check him out at www.mikewhitaker.com or call (877-843-4110).