In the absence of data, the brain makes up a story. At my last entrepreneurs’ retreat, we worked with this great coach/facilitator named Vince Fowler. Vince helped us understand this Brené Brown concept:

“In the absence of data, we will always make up stories… our default is often to come up with a story that makes sense, feels familiar, and offers us insight into how best to self-protect.” – Brene Brown, Rising Strong

The brain needs a beginning, middle, and end since it values certainty over truth.  So when we’re missing data or facts, we create a story. We just make stuff up. The keywords here are “makes up.” The stories are inherently our own; sometimes they’re true, sometimes they’re not.

So how does this apply to business? Watch the video to learn more (or keep reading).

Anytime we’re missing data or facts, guess what? The stories show up. Even worse sometimes we rely on secondhand stories that can lead to some really bad decisions.

The need for facts is offset by our need to make decisions quickly. We don’t want to get to the point where we have to do a study every time we’re missing data. Then all of a sudden we’re moving at the speed of government, and we all know that’s not nearly fast enough.

Perfection is the enemy of done.

We need to keep solving issues, moving forward, taking action but it’s not always easy. When we’re working through decisions a great question is, “Do we have enough information to solve?” Maybe we don’t have ALL the information but we have enough. And if we have enough information, let’s take a shot based on the FACTS that we have. The point being: MAKE A DECISION.

Not everyone is great at making decisions; many people struggle to make decisions quickly. This highlights the need for a person in our business that’s really good at distilling all the information. They’re good at filtering facts from fiction. They take all the information into consideration, then make the call based on facts. In EOS language, we call them an Integrator and they’re just that logical, “voice of reason” type person that’s really great at making decisions.

A good Integrator isn’t afraid to make tough decisions. According to the EOS, “10 Commandments of Great Decision Making,”  “Thou shalt not be a weenie.” That means that we must make the hard decisions. The Integrator ensures that we are making the best decision possible and the action plan to deal with the issue is crystal clear. We’ve got to do it – with the greater good, long-term health of the company in mind.

To tie this all together, we just have to make more decisions based on facts so that we can move the company forward and take action. So let’s be aware. Where are we creating stories in our business? And could we filter facts from fiction more frequently and leverage these great decision makers, these Integrators, in our company?

It’s simple, but it’s not easy.

If you’d like a copy of the “10 Commandments of Great Decision Making,” I’d gladly send you a free copy of the ebook, Decide! that includes that among other things. Until then, go filter facts from fiction in your business.

Next Steps:

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