Pre-Empt Your Inner Judge
Indian Management|October 2016

Normally, my judgments based on intuition/sixth sense have paid off.

Naveen Khajanchi, NHK Foundation
Pre-Empt Your Inner Judge

In my work in executive search, I have almost felt like an astrologer for correctly pinpointing people in the right positions, and making quick decisions about who belongs where and who should do what! But it is a tricky business. It is even harder for leaders because they have to take decisions quickly and as accurately as possible. A good sense of judgment is a good leadership attribute. But where it fails us is when we forget to take shades of grey into consideration. At times, our decisions do go wrong and I have learnt it the hard way that it is important to balance intuition with data and objectivity.

It is all about our ability to hold on to our biases and merge them in mindful manner so that objectivity is not lost.

In a recent blog on the importance of biases in our judgment, I explained how shedding judgments can help executives develop a sense of purpose in what they do. I am not contradicting this view. We should be as open as possible to different possibilities. But saying or thinking this, and applying it is another matter. For the most part, we claim to be open-minded, but implicit stereotypes and prejudices rise from our subconscious when we are not aware of it and colour our judgment.

Such stereotypes are more detrimental today with more diverse workforces and a multifaceted ‘millennial’ generation, which is difficult to understand. Applying a one-size-fits-all perception of competence to a twenty-something in a hurry is not the most effective way to uncover the talent in your ranks.

This story is from the October 2016 edition of Indian Management.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the October 2016 edition of Indian Management.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM INDIAN MANAGEMENTView All
Trust is a must
Indian Management

Trust is a must

Trust a belief in the abilities, integrity, values, and character of any organisation is one of the most important management principles.

time-read
6 mins  |
July 2023
Listen To Your Customers
Indian Management

Listen To Your Customers

A good customer experience management strategy will not just help retain existing customers but also attract new ones.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2021
The hand that feeds
Indian Management

The hand that feeds

Providing free meals to employees is an effective way to increase engagement and boost productivity.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2021
Survival secrets
Indian Management

Survival secrets

Thrive at the workplace with these simple adaptations.

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2021
Plan backwards
Indian Management

Plan backwards

Pioneer in the venture capital and private equity fields and co-founder of four transformational private equity firms, Bryan C Cressey opines that we have been taught backwards in many important ways, people can work an entire career without seeing these roadblocks to their achievements, and if you recognise and bust these five myths, you will become far more successful.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2021
For a sweet deal
Indian Management

For a sweet deal

Negotiation is a discovery process for both sides; better interactions will lead all parties to what they want.

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2021
Humanise. Optimise. Digitise
Indian Management

Humanise. Optimise. Digitise

Engaging employees in critical to the survival of an organisation, since the future of business is (still) people.

time-read
5 mins  |
August 2021
Beyond the call of duty
Indian Management

Beyond the call of duty

A servant leadership model can serve the purpose best when dealing with a distributed workforce.

time-read
3 mins  |
August 2021
Workplace courage
Indian Management

Workplace courage

Leaders need to build courage in order to enhance their self-reliance and contribution to the team.

time-read
5 mins  |
August 2021
Focused on reality
Indian Management

Focused on reality

Are you a sales manager or a true sales leader? The difference, David Mattson, CEO, Sandler® and author, Scaling Sales Success: 16 Key Principles For Sales Leaders, maintains, comes down to whether you can see beyond five classic myths that we often tell ourselves about selling.

time-read
5 mins  |
August 2021