Making Decisions Outside Your Repertoire - BusinessWeek
Great article. Here are some great nuggets below, but I suggest you read the entire piece.
Resist leaping into action:
So many current challenges have no known solution because they stem from complex, new issues. These are what we would call adaptive challenges—issues whose solution is outside your repertoire. The most important thing to do when confronted with these challenges is to resist leaping into action. You cannot solve these complex challenges with mere technical solutions.
Step by step:
Resisting the impulse to act is the first step in responding to a challenge that has no easy technical fix. Slowing down the freight train is difficult, so here are the three steps to follow:
(1) Observe: Collect data and stand back to watch events and patterns around you.
(2) Interpret: Examine what you are seeing and hearing, then develop multiple hypotheses about what is really going on.
(3) Intervene: Act to address the challenge, test multiple hypotheses, and then monitor progress on each.
