I recently suggested to a colleague that we begin work on a new initiative we had considered undertaking. His two word response—‘not now’—-was emphatic.
He wasn’t initiating a power struggle.
He wasn’t dismissing the suggestion out-of-hand.
He wasn’t being belligerent.
He was exercising great judgment. Turns out, he was right. The timing for the new initiative wasn’t right—we already had plenty on our plate.
It is great working with people you trust. Judgment is one leg of trust’s three-legged stool (character and competence being the other two). See page 80 in The Power of Professionalism for an extensive discussion on this subject.
With heaping ‘to-do’ lists, with demands brought on by the incessant speed-of-change, with ambiguity being the norm—judgement has never been so critical. It’s great to work with people who have it.
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