Research done by Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov states that it takes no longer than 100 milliseconds to form an impression of a stranger from their face.
Within a tenth of a second we are making judgments and forming first impressions. We are judgment making machines.
Judgment is a skill we as leaders should practice and develop. The biggest pitfall for most of us is that we judge ourselves by our intentions, yet we judge others by their actions. That thought bears repeating. We judge ourselves by our intentions and we judge others by their actions.
We shouldn’t, and can’t, remove judgment completely from who we are but we can become better at judgment.
To oversimplify I think about judgment consisting of two spectrums. And then there is always the variable of time that complicates the two spectrums even further.
Spectrum 1: Emotionally Invested
If I am emotionally invested, my judgment is impaired. I need to actively find ways to create emotional space so I can process the issue and make better decisions.
Spectrum 2: Information Available
Availability of information is just as difficult if not more difficult than the spectrum of emotions. I have made poor decisions based on not having enough information. It is your (and my) responsibility as a leader to seek out new perspectives and gather as much information as possible. We never have as much information as we want but we can make intentional efforts to move up the spectrum to make better decisions more often.
How does this resonate with you? If something struck you as insightful, capture it and write it down. The act of writing helps solidify ideas and memories in our brain so they can be available in the future for recall.
