Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Have you ever experienced how human nature seems to prefer a definite answer (Now!) more than an accurate one (in due time)?

The first time I remember hearing the term (“it depends”) from a subject matter expert was when I owned a gaggle of snowmobiles and wanted to make sure I didn’t shorten a trip because of poor maintenance. The hyfax serve as a protective barrier between the slide rails and the snow track clips. It normally has snow and ice built up but in poor conditions, they wear out quickly (and are a pain to change out). I asked my favorite parts manager how long they last and he said smugly, almost dismissively, “It depends.” I first thought he was trying to sell me spares for all my sleds. Then he explained himself and I realized if we are in the wrong conditions, i.e. riding fast across a lake with no snow cover, they wear down quickly. Got it.

As leaders, we recognize that the desire for a definitive answer doesn’t mean we should take the bait and fill the request. We have an obligation to leave the decision making window open as long as necessary to take in as much information as possible. There are times when we must push back on the tyranny of the urgent because doing the right thing might mean waiting for all available information to emerge instead of giving in to the impetuous asking for an answer immediately.

If you recall last week, I mentioned a lesson in taking decisive actions…when under fire…when the situation dictated it. The difference between last week’s and this week’s example is … discretion. The leader must exhibit confidence in herself, her sources of information and her influence of the situation and naysayers, thus allowing proper time for good judgement to prevail.

Here are a couple more examples of “it depends”, courtesy of extensive visits to the Mayo Clinic. I’ve taken a proactive approach to my health (ahem-recommended) and looked for ways to improve so I ask questions like “Is my meal regimen acceptable?” (In my head, I’m thinking of Burgess Meredith in Grumpy Old Men eating 5 strips of bacon for breakfast, a bacon sandwich for lunch, a bacon snack…

Here’s what those “flat-bellied” experts will tell you:

“Meat is a treat”

That doesn’t sound like your current diet is fine, eat all the red meat you can find or even half a plate of protein for breakfast and a third plate of protein for lunch and dinner. It sounds like, IT DEPENDS (on how long you intend to live a high quality life).

How much water should I drink?
We all want to know the exact answer, right? The latest answer I received was…

“Pee clear, at least once a day.”

That doesn’t sound like 100 ounces or 12 glasses a day, does it? It sounds like, IT DEPENDS (on what else you ate, drank and did today).

One last tongue-in-cheek example of how the desire for simplification and “I need YOU to fix MY problem right now” is:

Click those links, chuckle a little bit and have a blessed weekend!