Most people believe they make good
decisions. But do they?
When I work with leaders and their teams, I often untangle the problem of “people don’t know what they don’t know, but they think they have all they need to know to decide.” It occurs when people fail to examine their own thinking critically. The problem arises when individuals believe they understand the situation, possess all the necessary information, and can make a decision. Yet, they fail to question their own thinking or reasoning process. When this problem emerges in an organization, I know they are in trouble.
Unquestioned Thinking is Costly
The costs of unquestioned thinking for the organization include gaps in analysis, a culture of blame in the workplace, the departure of talented individuals, lower-quality responses to challenges, and a failure to consider broader impacts. Furthermore, they fail to identify the root causes or unintended consequences of their decisions. All of this results in short-sighted actions and an organization that depletes its energy and coffers in a constant state of “firefighting.”
For individuals who do not question their thinking or decision-making process, the outcome is repeated bad decisions and a failure to improve their flawed processes. When one lacks curiosity about where they might be wrong, missed opportunities accumulate. They lean on an overconfidence that either silences those around them or pushes them away. They believe that complex situations are simple, controllable, or have a single answer. Results include limited career mobility, communication breakdowns, and an inability to maintain the trust and confidence of their team.
Make the Invisible Visible
If you don’t know something, that is your opportunity to ask questions and learn. The best leaders know that their value is not in knowing everything but in growing the pool of knowledge around them: making the invisible visible. When a leader can use their skills to engage their team and stakeholders in productive dialogue about complex challenges, work through conflicts, and acknowledge the trade-offs and complexities, they establish patterns of thoughtful contribution. These leaders can then genuinely develop their understanding of different stakeholder experiences, meaningfully include those with diverse values and cultural backgrounds, and possess the intellectual humility necessary to confront their blind spots.
Asking good questions, inviting respectful challenges, taking the time to hear concerns, and guiding people away from groupthink or reductionist approaches all feed into more information, more diverse perspectives, and greater understanding, ultimately leading to better decisions.
So, how do you know if you are wrong? It starts with self-reflection. Take a moment to pause before making decisions. Ask: “What evidence am I using?” “What sources am I relying on?” “What assumptions am I making?” “What questions haven’t I asked?” “Who else needs to be involved?” Look for patterns in your reasoning, such as confirmation bias (only accepting information that supports your viewpoint), anchoring bias (over-relying on the first information you receive), or availability bias (picking from easily recalled examples). If you can’t identify different viewpoints and compelling counterarguments, you are on the pathway to making a poor-quality decision.
Quality Information In,
Quality Decisions Out
One person with quality information is helpful, but incomplete. However, one person with quality information, asking good questions, and drawing out quality information from others, will have better and more complete information from which to make quality decisions. Which person do you want to be?
