Leading on single-source information? Caution!
Leaders operate off of information. We take in (or should) as much information as possible to make the best decisions we can. This is important, especially at higher levels of leadership where decisions and policies have greater impact on people and resources. A leader should avoid taking action based on a single data point, rumor, or isolated fact.
I made this mistake in the Army. We were closely tracking the activity of an enemy combatant in our area of operations in Afghanistan. His activities were destabilizing our mission and we worked hard to gather intelligence which would lead to his demise. One afternoon an informant of ours gave us a tip on where this individual would be later that day. He would call us when the individual was present and we would conduct a helicopter assault to surround the area and kill or capture him. I turned my organization on a dime and shifted precious and limited assets to conduct this mission. We pre-positioned numerous helicopters and an assault force and shifted all our attention toward this one individual. The call never came.
My error was operating off of a single source of information. We were an incredibly busy organization operating with limited resources. I should have sought additional sources of information such as an additional informant or other bits of intelligence to build a more complete picture and greater assurance that he would be there.
Are you operating off of a single source of information? Leaders may receive a single bit of financial or sales data or take a report from a single person and act. Sometimes the source of information is not the greatest. For instance, if a senior executive is sharing information about something very tactical in a department he or she is far removed from, a leader ought to be skeptical or at least, curious.
This can be risky. Questioning someone or seeking another perspective can erode trust. Leaders must explain their responsibility (well in advance) to their teams. They must illustrate the risk of making decisions on bad or incomplete information. They should train their people to offer multi-source information when they present problems and recommend action. They should never assume (see my previous blog on this).
Bad or incomplete information is unavoidable. Thus it is the duty of leaders to build a more complete picture before making decisions. When receiving information, have your antenna up and question (to yourself if necessary) the validity of the information. Seek additional sources. Look deeper into the problem or request. Build a more complete picture, then act.
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Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell