reptilicas

Data is neutral - there are no value judgments, only facts.  Data has both power and its limits.  The power lies in the analysis of what we know about.  But it gives us something to work with to reveal potential patterns, which can be used to help us improve.  There are limits to data, analyzing it correctly is difficult, and it is dangerous to assume that you always know what it means.  It is easy to find false patterns in data.  Think of data as one way of seeing, one of many tools we can use to look for what's hidden.  The problem comes when people think that data paints a full picture, leading them to ignore what they can't see.  Measure what you can, evaluate what you measure , and appreciate that you cannot measure the vast majority of what you do.  Make time to step back and think about what you are doing.

You have to prepare then for an unknown challenge - a hidden challenge.  If you don't try to uncover what is unseen and understand its nature you will be ill prepared to lead.  If we don't acknowledge how much is hidden we hurt ourselves in the long run.  Acknowledging what you can't see - getting comfortable with the fact that there are a large number of two-inch events occurring right now, out of our sight that will affect us for better or worse, in myriad ways - helps promote flexibility.  What stands in our way are these hidden barriers - the (1)  misconceptions AND (2) assumptions that impede us without our knowing it.  The issue of what is hidden then is not just an abstraction to be banded about as an intellectual exercise.  The hidden - and our acknowledgement of it - is an absolutely essential part of rooting out what impedes our progress.

Always change, because change is a good thing.  There is no growth or success without change.  Change is going to happen, whether we like it or not.  Some people see random, unforeseen events as something to fear.  Randomness is not just inevitable; it is part of the beauty of life.  Acknowledging it and appreciating it helps us respond constructively when we are surprised.  Change your mind instantly in light of new facts.  Randomness is a concept that defies categorization, by definition it comes out of nowhere and can't be anticipated.

The antidote to fear is trust, and we all have a desire to find something to trust in an uncertain world.  Fear and trust are powerful forces and while they are not opposites exactly, trust is the best tool for driving out fear.  There is always plenty to be afraid of when you are doing something new.  Fear can be created quickly; trust can not.

We must remember that failure gives us chances to grow and we ignore those chances at our own peril.  We face failure because by seeking better understanding, we remove barriers to full creative engagement.  One of the biggest barriers is fear, and while failure comes with the territory fear shouldn't have to.  The goal then, is to uncouple fear and failure - to create an environment in which making mistakes doesn't strike terror into your campaign.

When scientists have a question, they construct hypotheses, test them, analyze them, and draw conclusions - and then they do it all over again.  The reasoning behind this is simple: Experiments are fact-finding missions that over time inch scientists toward greater understanding.  That means any outcome is a good outcome, because it yields new information.  If your experiment proved your initial theory wrong, better to know it sooner rather than later.  Armed with new facts, you can then reframe whatever question you're asking.