One of my favorite writers is Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point, Outliers and Blink.
I’m currently reading Blink, aptly subtitled “The Power of Thinking Without Thinking,” and I can’t help but be amazed by the power of our unconscious minds.
Gladwell looks at the effectiveness of snap judgments vs. taking time to think through every possible scenario, eventually making a decision. The conclusion Gladwell draws is that snap judgments can be just as effective, if not slightly better, than taking time to think through things, because our unconscious minds know when something is off or needs to be a certain way.
This got me thinking about the work that I do and the dilemma I face with each project:
Do I trust my gut reactions or do I internalize and think through every aspect of the project, potentially creating more obstacles than deliverables?
Do I trust that the experience I have gained over the years has fed my intuition and enabled me to make effective snap judgments?
Do I question my abilities and experience by making sure that I cover all my bases?
These are questions that need to be asked and answered not only quickly, but allowed to simmer in your mind because they can help you, like they are helping me, change how you respond when quick decisions are necessary.