My rethinking drove one member of my team nuts. I thought it was the pursuit of excellence. Now I know it’s dangerous.
Stinking rethinking is paralysis.
3 Symptoms of Stinking Rethinking
- Foot-dragging. People hate undoing and redoing. They wait for certainty.
- Discussing without deciding. No one pulls the trigger today when you habitually rethink decisions tomorrow.
- Commitment comes slowly. Uncertainty drains energy.
Decisions aren’t final when leaders are rethinkers.
5 Ways to Overcome Stinking Rethinking
- Pull the trigger. Set a date to evaluate. What’s working? What could be better? Where is unnecessary friction?
- Redefine excellence. Excellence is always pursuit, not perfection.
- Go with 80%. Pursue the last 20% after you launch.
- Set a deadline. Get the bones in place before you polish the skin.
- Seek outside feedback early.
When Rethinking is Wise
- New substantive information emerges.
- Circumstances change in substantive ways.
- Faulty thinking is exposed.
Summary
Improvement before movement is ineffective. Make your best decision and take action. Improve as you go.
What types of stinking rethinking have you encountered?
7 Ways to Find Your Highest Point of Clarity during Uncertainty
**This post is inspired by chapter 6 of “Simple Sabotage,” by Galford, Frisch, and Greene.
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Previously Published on leadershipfreak with Creative Commons License
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