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The importance of observation

Business Week discusses the importance of taking your time to observe with decisions that aren't your forte and ends up giving good advice in general. In short, look before you leap. But it's more than that:

Most interpretative patterns are fashioned unconsciously and with lightning speed, throwing you into action before you can ask yourself: "Is my explanation for what is happening correct? What are some alternative hypotheses?"

If you do not question your own and your team's preferred interpretations, you may unintentionally end up avoiding the difficult tasks that need to be tackled in order to make real progress.

Once you have made an interpretation derived from your observations, what are you going to do about it? Will you share your interpretation during a meeting, try it out with a small group, or just wait? Your next move, your intervention, should reflect your understanding of the problem and your hypothesis about the best way forward.

Making Decisions Outside Your Repertoire - Business Week