Poor Self Reflection
No sports team ever thinks they did poorly the day after a draft. Our confirmation bias often shows itself early and our capacity to quickly self-analyze is actually extremely low. On the other side of the coin, our capacity to quickly self-justify is extremely high. Naive optimism can run rampant and can lead us to blind spots; we justify poor performance because we have rose-colored glasses about what’s possible.
What systems and processes can you put into place to ensure that you aren’t justifying poor decisions? How can you create checks and balances to ensure you are reflecting with truth in mind while taming the ego? Here are a couple of ideas.
Use the WILL Method.
W = What went well?
I = What can we improve?
L = What did we learn about ourselves?
L = What did we learn about our situation?
2. Get an outsider’s perspective.
Consultants aren’t perfect, but it’s helpful to get perspective from people beyond our expertise. Sometimes the obvious thing is the least obvious. Have them grade your process based on self-expectations.
3. Argue the other side.
After a decision is made argue the other side. List all of the reasons why this decision could fail. Create awareness so that you can change course if that’s the best route to go.
We all make mistakes. The key is to learn from them. The quicker we can identify, adjust, and move forward, the better. Reflect, don’t justify.