Our thirst for facts and comparisons often forces us
into seeking answers before fully formulating questions. We want solutions –
NOW – without a moment’s hesitation…based on how our tracking SAYS something has
been resolved in the past rather than seeing how it COULD be handled going
forward. We seek stories with tightly wound endings rather than events that
have yet to unfold. We find interest in other’s problems and accept another’s
interpretation of the facts as being “gospel truth” rather than digging into a
story and coming to our own conclusions. Good news and success are not as
important to many as are bad choices and their potentially tragic results. News
that “sells” must be entertaining (and often CREATED or ENHANCED) to capture
our imagination. We want to be entertained (rather than understood), agreed
with (rather than challenged) and provided for (rather than providing for
others). It seems that the application of information to create a viable
solution – taking the risk required to make a difference by being different –
is no longer a desirable characteristic. Impatience and intolerance have become
the driving factors in “effective” communication with the analysis of data and
deliberate actions due to those findings being minimized in value due to the
urgency with which actions are seen to be implemented.
Our senses seem overly stimulated by details, information, and opportunities yet we rarely take the time to identify issues before advancing untenable solutions when pressured by unrealistic deadlines. We run before we walk – oblivious to the fact we might fall – our impatience ruling the day. We often ignore the fact that the efforts of others who came before us (whose results are driving our metrics) acted in different times and different places. We relegate the experience of others (both wins and losses) to a silent historical chart or graphic that tends to (but should not necessarily) rule the day rather than including their insights into our ongoing thought processes as we apply their experiences into a new solution. We pursue the improbable rather than finding comfort in the reality of “what is” and extrapolating it into that which has not yet become – far too often leaping ahead without thought or direction rather than moving slowly (and steadily) forward. We tend to “fire” before we “get ready,” or shoot before we aim (hoping that if we “shoot” quickly enough in the right general direction we are bound to hit something).
It really does not matter which path you take if you
are lost as when you do not know where you are going nor from what you are
moving, any progress is better than none at all. In order to transform
knowledge into wisdom we must take the time to analyze the information around us
– to make decisions count by identifying a destination before moving from one
situation to another – and planning where you want to be before leaping from the
frying pan into the fire. One will rarely fail if they do not establish goals –
yet success hinges upon the creation and attainment of targets and the
accomplishment of individual dreams. Little credit can be taken for
unanticipated results generated through unplanned actions, however, so Leaders
must take a stand then act upon it based on the information they have available
at the time – being willing to change their mind should circumstances change. In
order to demonstrate wisdom, one must take the time to become aware of what
those around him/her are thinking, are capable of doing and are willing to act
upon for only then can one individual motivate others to leverage the abilities
of many to accomplish what might seem on the surface to be impossible.
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