Living in the Age of Immediate Answers
We’ve been living in the “Google-age” of immediate answers for close to two decades now. With the coming of Siri, Cortana, Google Assistant, and Alexa information has become even more accessible and even more immediate.
Often, I don’t even need to think or speak to get an answer; the information is pushed to me precisely at the time I need it in whatever form is easiest to consume (Apple Watch, iPhone, Smart TV, Home Management Platform). Is there traffic on my commute home? Oh, Waze already told me there is! What is the weather like today? Alexa already told me in my morning “wake-up” brief.
It’s easy to assume that since information is so query-able, so immediate, and so accessible that, for questions in our person and private lives, the answers we need must be immediate as well. This assumption is wrong.
While there is a role for fast, confident, and strong decision making, many decisions we make should actually be the opposite: they should be slow, cautious, and considered.
Confused? Don’t worry, I’ll help you figure out what questions deserve which type of answers.
Characteristics of Questions and Problems That Deserve Rapid Decisions
- Easy to Reverse: If you choose wrong, it’s easy to choose right with limited long-term consequences.
- Quick Feedback Loop: If you choose wrong, you know you chose wrong quickly.
- Easy to Understand Hypothesis: Do I have a clear expectation of what should/will change when I make this decision?
- Minimal Data Available: Don’t waste time thinking about a decision that you won’t collect additional data on without action. This is a core theory behind Agile Development: hypothesize, test, learn, course-correct, repeat.
Characteristics of Questions and Problems That Deserve Slow(er) Decisions
- Difficult to Undo: If you’re going to be stuck with the impact of this decision for a while (ex. Building a New Apartment Building or Proposing a Constitutional Amendment), slow down your decision making process.
- Slow or No Feedback Loop: If your feedback loop is slow or non-existent, invest time upfront, since you won’t necessarily know how or when to course-correct in the future.
- Decisions in a New Domain: Is the problem you’re solving or the question you’re answering outside of your comfort zone or area of expertise? Slow it down, find a few experts, learn enough to be dangerous, and then make your decision.
- Emotional Decisions: If you start to feel your emotions being activated during decision making, this is another great sign to slow things down. Author Daniel Kahneman called this “System 1” or “Intuitive Thinking” in his bestselling “Thinking, Fast and Slow”.
What Type of Decisions Should I Apply to This Model?
Apply them all!
Decisions of all types can be applied to the above model including, but not limited to decisions about: Project or product viability, pursuing a new career, having more children, going back to school, launching a new business, or running for elected office.
A Few Sample Decisions Evaluated
Decision: Stay with your current job or take a job at a new company
Type of Decision: Slow
Why? Hard to reverse, slow(er) feedback loop, emotional (for most). Plus, lots of information to process (what am I giving up? what am I gaining?)
Decision: Building a new feature for your product in a new area
Type of Decision: Fast
Why? Easy to reverse, quick feedback loop, clear hypothesis. Since it’s in a new domain, find an expert if you can, but don’t let it slow down your testing!
Decision: Going back to school for your MBA (or other degree)
Type of Decision: It depends! But more often than not: Slow
Why? Is the financial investment big? The time investment is certainly big. Is the program easy to start and stop without losing your progress? The feedback loop or the “payoff” loop is slow (in most cases).
Keep (Different Types of) Thinking Alive!
Even if you chose the wrong “speed” of decision-making, at least you’re thinking about thinking (meta!) which sets you well ahead of the pack. Over the next few weeks, try to pay more attention to the decisions you make personally and professionally.
Which decisions are you making quickly or reflexively?
Which decisions are you making after lots of reflection?
Does your thinking and decision-making process map to the “rules” above?
If you’re looking for suggestions on how to find time for thinking, see “The Death of Thinking” below:
Take the Time!
If you take the time to understand the way you’re making the decisions and answering the questions in your personal and professional life, you’ll be better positioned to move upward and you will be significantly less stressed.
Let me know how and why you make your fast + slow decisions on Twitter: Alex Mitchell
Check out my book, Building Digital Products, at www.buildingdigitalproducts.com
More from Alex Mitchell
Check out Alex’s Book: Building Digital Products
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Building-Digital-Products-Ultimate-Handbook/dp/1522824936
Digital Download: https://gum.co/CLccb
