How Emotions Can Define Your Decisions
From time to time, we hear that good decision-making depends on the ability to alienate our emotions and let our rational brain prove that we are different from other animals. However, when it comes to emotions, our brain works like that of a reptile. The sooner we understand that we cannot dissociate emotions from the decision-making process, the sooner we can leverage them to our advantage.
Our Reptilian Brain: Name and Manage Your Emotions
Emotions are information: signals sent to our body before our rational brain has the capacity to evaluate a particular situation. If we ignore them, we will miss part of the picture painted before us. We have, in each moment of each day, a certain emotional state that impacts, even if we are not aware of it, the way we think and act. Normally, it is soft enough so that it does not disturb our performance.
Still, emotions are always present in every decision we make. Get used to naming how you feel and pay attention to disruptive emotions – such as anxiety, shame, fear, and anger – that can cloud your judgment. Value the emotional cues your body gives you, try to understand their meaning, and use this information to inform your decision – just as you would with any other type of information.
Impulse Control: Why You Can Still Listen to Your Intuition
Impulse control is the ability to delay a response to a stimulus. If someone on your team has just made a significant mistake with one of your key clients, your immediate reaction might be to raise your voice and dismiss them on the spot.
Perhaps dismissing the employee may ultimately prove to be the right decision. However, in that moment, you are unlikely to have enough information or the necessary presence of mind to make that decision. Delaying your response will allow you to analyse your emotions, manage how you feel, and objectively assess the situation before proceeding.
On the other hand, controlling your impulses does not mean you should ignore your intuition. Humans are experts at detecting and understanding patterns of sensory information. These patterns are based on beliefs and experience, lead to rapid decision-making, and can be incredibly accurate and useful. After all, it is not uncommon for us to have only seconds to read a room and decide how to act. However, our instincts are also susceptible to bias.
Test the Reality: Know Your Biases, Read the Situation Objectively
When making decisions, for example, related to recruitment or promotion, it is essential to stop, discuss and analyse your intuition. Am I favouring this person because they are similar to me? Am I undervaluing someone because they do not interact with me as often? Or am I, in fact, painting an accurate picture of the role, team and organisational needs the position will require, based on my experience and insight?
When you become aware of your emotions and biases, you are more likely to consider all relevant information and, in doing so, assess reality accurately. This will not only result in a well-informed decision, but also instil confidence in your decision-making process.
Embrace your emotions, or watch them compromise your decisions. Remember: they always have a seat at the table, even when you do not invite them. Open the door to them consciously and transform your decisions!
Sources:
- The EQ Edge: Emotional Intelligence and Your Success de Howard E. Book & Steven J. Stein
- Thinking, Fast and Slow de Daniel Kahneman