This is such an important point. My mental model is that I want to have what Stephen Covey calls “Response Ability.” This is what responsibility is all about—having the ability to respond.
The tool that helps me the most is to think about creating SPACE. I have to have some distance from the decision before I can make it.
For example, I recommend to have 1-2 “go-to” responses ready for whenever you are surprised. A simple sentence like:
“Thank you for letting me know! I need to think about this, can I circle back soon?
If you practice saying this and can rehearse it in the middle of the night, you will always be ready to CREATE space between yourself and making decisions. This is the key to response-ability.
Great article! Two insights really struck me: “Time is a basic tool that helps to gain perspective” and “They rarely argue with rules. You can say: ‘I have a rule that I never answer immediately.’”
Both those bring strength to your point about the power of pausing - not as hesitation, but as a deliberate strategy for better decision making.
That said, are there situations where acting quickly is actually the better choice? In fast-paced environments where speed is critical, how do you balance the need for thoughtful decisions with the urgency of the moment? Also, while pausing can help prevent emotional reactions, do you ever find that waiting too long can make a response feel detached or not entirely authentic?
I can't think of many situations where acting quickly is better. One example that comes to mind is playing speed chess, where you need to save as much time as possible, significantly increasing the rate of errors.
This analogy could apply to any kind of decision-making—as long as you accept a higher rate of errors, you can make decisions more quickly.
This is such an important point. My mental model is that I want to have what Stephen Covey calls “Response Ability.” This is what responsibility is all about—having the ability to respond.
The tool that helps me the most is to think about creating SPACE. I have to have some distance from the decision before I can make it.
For example, I recommend to have 1-2 “go-to” responses ready for whenever you are surprised. A simple sentence like:
“Thank you for letting me know! I need to think about this, can I circle back soon?
If you practice saying this and can rehearse it in the middle of the night, you will always be ready to CREATE space between yourself and making decisions. This is the key to response-ability.
That's a great approach. I'm going to set up my default responses.
Thanks for your perspective, Gilad!
Great article! Two insights really struck me: “Time is a basic tool that helps to gain perspective” and “They rarely argue with rules. You can say: ‘I have a rule that I never answer immediately.’”
Both those bring strength to your point about the power of pausing - not as hesitation, but as a deliberate strategy for better decision making.
That said, are there situations where acting quickly is actually the better choice? In fast-paced environments where speed is critical, how do you balance the need for thoughtful decisions with the urgency of the moment? Also, while pausing can help prevent emotional reactions, do you ever find that waiting too long can make a response feel detached or not entirely authentic?
Really enjoyed this post
I can't think of many situations where acting quickly is better. One example that comes to mind is playing speed chess, where you need to save as much time as possible, significantly increasing the rate of errors.
This analogy could apply to any kind of decision-making—as long as you accept a higher rate of errors, you can make decisions more quickly.
Thank you very much for your kind words, Kenneth!