Generational Costs of Certain Decisions
Taking into consideration the ripple effects and the length of them
We rarely invest in strong-enough and accurate consideration for high-risk decisions we’re about to make, as to the possible or likely long-term costs. Sometimes we do. It just may not always be the rule.
That’s an error that we are too smart to be making and should not be making. Most of us understand that risk management, professionally and personally, is decision quality.
The problem often is not ignorance, although that can be a factor. It’s emotions, psychology, biases, impulses and false conclusions that lead to dangerous decisions.
Kathi Kulesza, a leadership expert and keynote speaker for service-oriented industries, communicated something important about the topic this week in her LinkedIn newsletter, The Leadership Lens.
"Decisions Carry Generational Weight,” she wrote.
Kulesza stated that, “ripple effects” can be widespread, “often for years to come.”
Yes: powerful and long-lasting, unwanted, destructive ripple effects.
If we pause and think deeply for a moment, we likely will be able to think of vivid examples, whether in the history of our country, world history, people we’ve known or in our own lives, where faulty or poor decisions led to “generational weight (burdens).”
The high variable costs of regret, remorse, pain and trauma can be significant and sometimes worse, overwhelming. Some people never recover. They were or have never been the same again.
“Take the time to scenario-plan, weigh outcomes and own your decisions,” Kulesza advised. “Short-term gains can leave long-term scars.”
This takes time, thinking and effort, which is why it doesn’t always get done. We don’t want to make the time, think and expend the effort.
The scars that result may not be just our own. They can be to other people, known or unknown, that we don’t want to have to suffer the intense, lengthy hardships or worse, of our decisions.
In leadership and our personal lives, "One decision" can "forever change" us, others and what's important and valued by us and them: for the best or the worst.
It’s a safety issue that we may need to take more seriously with certain decisions, to prevent fallout with a smarter cognitive processing strategy, deeper analysis (by ourselves or with others), better questions and clear “stop,” “pause” and “go” triggers to direct us on to the right path at the right time and away from and off the wrong ones.
Michael Toebe is a reputation and communications specialist at Reputation Intelligence and writes the Reputation Intelligence newsletter here on Substack and on LinkedIn. He helps individuals and organizations proactively and responsively with matters of trust, stakeholder relationships and reputation.
He has been a reporter for newspapers and radio, hosted a radio talk show, written for online business magazines, been a media source, helped people work through disputes, conflicts and crises and assisted clients with communications to further build, protect, restore and reconstruct reputation. LinkedIn profile.
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