New York Times columnist David Brooks recently wrote an op-ed piece The Behavioral Revolution discussing the four steps one goes through to make a decision:
- Perceive a situation
- Think of possible courses of action
- Calculate which course of action is in your best interest
- Take the action
The point Brooks makes in his article is that the the economic and financial crisis reveals human frailty in our capacity for making decisions. Brooks says:
"So perhaps this moment will be the moment when we alter our view of decision-making. Perhaps this will be the moment when we shift our focus from step three, rational calculation, to step one, perception.
"Perceiving a situation seems, at first glimpse, like a remarkably simple operation. You just look and see what's around. But the operation that seems most simple is actually the most complex, it's just that most of the action takes place below the level of awareness."
The next generation of leaders, able to lead change and grow sustainable businesses in complex environments will be those who can synthesize perception and rational analysis. But as Brooks so accurately points out, perception comes from the realm below awareness (what Moore & Associates calls "below the waterline" or the unconscious).
One accesses the unconscious by making room for "not knowing" -- a conduit to creativity, intuition, feelings and the imagination. Unfortunately, "not knowing" is a tall order for those of us who prize our intelligence, rational thinking and superb analytical abilities (i.e., we "know alot").
Thus the leadership challenge for executives right now in these turbulent times is to:
- Acknowledge that perception needs to be brought up to a level at least on par with the intellect.
- Learn to access the level below awareness (the unconscious).
- Bring up to conscious awareness your intuitive insights, feelings, creations, motives and capacities.
- Integrate those perceptions with your rational calculations, thoughts and analysis to arrive at the best decisions, solutions and courses of action.
For over a decade, Moore & Associates has helped clients see and understand how conscious and unconscious perceptions and behavior are key drivers of all the components of effective organizations (strategy, results, leadership, structure, processes & systems, people practices and culture).
Perhaps the financial crisis will push more executives to seriously understand the complexity of human and organizational behavior and its impact on businesses of every size and industry. The Brooks article is a sign that (out of necessity) we're heading in that direction.
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