We all have been there and heard that story…you know, the friend or family member who shares every excruciating detail about their root canal. Yeah, OK, thank you…no. There is always, always a threshold to way too much information. We could also say we receive too little information or just not enough to help us make a decision about whatever. It can go either way. Again, what about too much. Does that also impact our ability to make a decision?
As managers and leaders, we will face situations and scenarios with ‘an amount’ of information. And too much matters. Case in point…when I was diagnosed with cancer, one of the immediate things my Ear, Nose and Throat doctor said was “do not go on the internet and become the expert”. Make sense? I got it. In our world today, you can ‘google’ (and almost always do) anything. You can spend hours reviewing information about every topic out there. And because of the size and scope of data, it is very easy to become overwhelmed with the information avalanche. I still ‘googled’ my cancer and read information. I just balanced my information on the internet with multiple doctor’s opinions, friend and family perspectives and some recommended written sources (they are called books).
As manager, I once faced a managerial crossroad. My ability to manage and lead my team was in jeopardy because I was thinking about way too much information. I had my perspective and experience mixed with my team’s (perspective times six) and a fair share of others outside the project. I was in what is called information overload and was in a state of analysis paralysis. I couldn’t move forward or backward for fear of making a bad decision and became very overwhelmed. I was so much so that I started to begin to leave a stressed voicemail to my boss and was thankfully stopped by a peer right in the middle of what would have probably been a career altering decision. We have all been there.
Reviewing months and months of sales performance while deciding what to change/coach/correct.
Disciplining a team member while considering their behavior, their past, their present, their life.
And even the humorous request by your supervisor when they ask “so how’s the business?” (and your response…”good”). By the way, there is a reason for this. I read somewhere that when we are asked an overtly general question (like “so how’s business?” or “do you know a good place to eat?”), our brain shuts down because the access to information is too great. There are so many options available, we default to a one word answer and then ask for specifics. Wild, huh?
So what to do?
Source. I remember being told by a History teacher to always check my sources. Some of our voluminous information may be either inaccurate for our needs or just completely unnecessary. Also watch out for your bias. It can cloud your judgment.
Context. This is a big one for me. The situation will always dictate the information necessary. This can aid in assessing what info is out of bounds versus inbounds for the decision you need to make. Also consider the recipient of your decision…will they benefit or struggle?
Timing. Does this decision need to be made now or can it wait a bit? This allows for you to review the information or, in a fast paced situation, come to an immediate conclusion. Remember, while there are bad decisions, they were made at a time when they may have seemed reasonable. Be open and learn.
Pulse Check. Before making a decision (or leaving a detrimental voicemail), stop and check in with someone else who is not involved. They can be both an ear to lean on and a voice to share reason.
Decision making can rely on way too much information. It can overwhelm even the best manager and leader. The more you engage in these situations, the more you learn and the more you grow. Perhaps the last way to embrace this moment is to breathe. I find stepping back and taking a deep breath helps. It certainly helps just stopping for a moment to collect yourself. And you have to breathe anyway, right?
It just too much to think about right now. I have to think of good place to eat.
Cheers