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IV. Clouded Goals
Imagine a goal.
As humans, we enjoy imagining future advances, improvements or fun. It's somehow more enjoyable locked up inside our heads as we anticipate what is to happen. We idealize as we imagine impending events which we expect to be enjoyable.
When we anticipate fun, we try to create it as well. Though there is nothing wrong with the tendency itself, troubles begin to occur when we allow the tendency to encroach on our work, when we want so much for our work to be enjoyable that we begin doing things in an effort to create conformity to all our prior anticipations. For instance, we may purposely rob ourselves of time as we chat with a co-worker or call a spouse on the phone. We may engage in more enjoyable busy-work so as to avoid the lesser desirable real work. We put off doing what we dislike and try to focus on those aspects of the job that we prefer.
When we anticipate, we may affirm to ourselves that the anticipation is appropriate. We may even convince ourselves that an alternative anticipation bars realistic expectation. When we formulate reasons for doing or expecting, especially if those actions or expectations provide us with what we want or a way to avoid what we don’t want, we may rely on those reasons as sufficient grounds for our actions or perceptions. In other words, the reason that we have implanted in our minds for justifying an action or thought may be tenaciously defended by beliefs which
We convince ourselves that our misperceptions or false beliefs are true because we want them to be true. Our thinking stops at a point beyond which if we were to simply apply our imaginations a bit we could recognize why our reasoning may be false. The less-than-perfect reason for doing BLOCKS all subsequent mental searches for alternate reasons for doing, because we fear impending loss if we should seek out another course of thinking (or, apathetically, we wish to avoid the work — mental, physical — which may be required to prevent an impending loss. Perhaps the loss seems unlikely to occur to begin with, and we "justify" our apathetic laziness with this "unlikeliness" perception). |
As troublesome as this behavior may be, it is extremely common! We all have done it at some time or another. This is just normal human behavior, normal stress-reducing techniques that we learn in the face of unwanted mental or physical stress. However, we must learn to manage it wisely! It can get is into trouble at times when, say, something of vexing importance is overlooked as a consequence of failing to check to make sure when we perhaps pursued some frolicking diversion on the job. In no field is there greater caution demanded to such leisurely diversion than in the field of professional decision-making. For example, managers typically forget their lofty goals and retire to the day-to-day affairs of business:
[Managers] escape into busyness .... Many of them take on subordinates’ problems, accumulating monkeys on their backs. [They] waste precious time and energy. Some procrastinate, others disengage emotionally. Still others fall victim to the temptation to do something (anything!) when pressure mounts — even if their actions are inappropriate.
— Stephen R. Covey, commentator in "Purposeful Managers" in HBR OnPoint Collection, Februrary 2002.
Human aversion as much as selfish pursuits may cloud our goals in our minds. When we avert, we work to reduce the subsequent burden to as small a load as possible. When we pursue, we work to make our pursuits as enjoyable as possible. This is just simple goal-oriented behavior. But rather than allowing for some gray area or "middle ground," we at times try to force situations into meeting some unrealistic expectation.
To counter this human tendency, we are behooved to remember to think about contradictory reasons to the reasons that may be presently directing our behavior. Try to think of something you may have overlooked, some rare exception or some subtle possibility that might enter into the works and foil the machinery so carefully crafted. Think,
"But wait! I had better think about ... or consider ....”
Otherwise, later shall you likely find yourself ruminating over,
"If I had known then what I know now .... If I had just paused to consider ... or just scarcely imagined ... I might have done ... instead of doing ....”
The potential consequences to our assumptive behavior should be clear. Reality doesn't care about your perceptions. Reality keeps doing what it has always done for eons. You must adapt to it rather than trying to fit Reality into some erroneous, preconceived notion. To avoid all potential for mental error, you must learn to STOP managing your perceptions and START managing Reality. Check to make sure that your decision is Robust, prepared for all potential possibility — antecedent, concurrent and consequent — before you do something that you may later regret! Furthermore, if you perpetually persist in trying to attain some unattainable goal, you may perhaps myopically overlook considerations of others who could potentially become hurt by your persistent ambitions.
So, remember your priorities! Always must we realize that attempting to avert loss or pursue gain without consideration to RIGHT, Safety, Compassion or Responsibility inevitably leads to even greater loss than where we were initially headed before (unless you expect to achieve success by gambling with the odds, but even then regardless of what the odds may be, if you hurt someone unnecessarily, without foresight to all the potential consequences, sheer loss could substantially multiply into sheer catastrophe).
Consideration and Concern are your ultimate guides to Caution.
As a consequence of our tendency to idealize those goals which we imagine for ourselves, actual goal attainment brings with it an intrinsic mental delight. We gloat. We proudly discuss or display our accomplishments that we worked so hard at attaining. Pride stirs within as we imagine how others now may be perceiving us because of the newfound achievement. We imagine what they might be thinking in response.
Of course, Reality doesn't always provide us with exactly the goals we strive for. Practicality sets in at times and less than perfect outcomes ensue. Though we may still be proud of these less-than-perfect achievements, because they fall short of expectation or some other false anticipation we aren't as enthusiastic in pointing them out to others as those goals which carry with them the notion of having actually reached some certain pristine preconception. The more closely our achievements match our imagined idealizations, the greater our sense of accomplishment.
This is an important result to remember if we are never to become too upset by less-than-anticipated achievement. Having attained partial achievement may very well represent a significant hurdle in itself if we endeavor to achieve a task that turns out to be far more complex than initially expected or if the starting point wasn't as advantageous as initially perceived. Humans progress quickest when communication provides others an awareness of what we are all trying to accomplish. So, though you may find yourself falling short of your ambitions, document and inform others of what you have accomplished so that another may possibly rely upon it as a stepping stone for a result which perhaps you don't quite see. Or, on the other hand, if you still possess the time and resources, the simple mental programming, "Persevere young [wo]man! Persevere!” may be all the motivation you need so that your achievements may perhaps subsequently recognize a new end. Try, try and try again! But Try Safely!
All progress humans have ever made has been subtle but steady. As time passes and learning persists, perceptions become refined and improved to adapt to all the incoming data and to cast out prior misconception.
As goals become imagined and paths to attaining them continually shift and redirect because of all which may be happening around us, always does it help to keep in mind precisely what those factors may be that are causing the redirection:
(Mnemonics: MaLaDy RaT or MaLaDRoiT, that is, "Malady Rat" or "Maladroit") |
When any of these factors begins to seriously hinder progress as you would prefer to have it in the way of bringing about the change(s) you seek or attaining that final goal you have envisioned, then that may be the time to seriously reflect on your own competence at maintaining your position. That may be the time to consider relinquishing control of your project to some other who may not be so similarly hindered. (Some of the above information publicly posted April 2003 at the web site of Harvard Business Review.)
All opinions expressed in this web site, unless otherwise noted, are my own, Michael Gaspard. If you notice any errors or have any suggestions for improvement, please let me know by e-mailing webmaster@mdpme.com. Thank you!This web page was last updated on Monday, February 2, 2004.
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