Sometimes we avoid getting the figures together because we know we won’t like what they’re telling us.
Sometimes our people will avoid preparing information accurately because they’re scared of how we will react to it.
That’s a problem.
As W Edwards Deming said, “Wherever there is fear, there will be wrong figures.”
For our part, somehow we need develop the information dispassionately and then consider what it’s telling us. Focusing on the process we’re following helps. If we feel in control, that’s something.
With other people compiling information for us, we need them to know we will be calm when we’re given the results.
Otherwise, in either case…
We won’t really know where we stand. We will mislead ourselves or other people will mislead us.
How do you separate the emotion from the numbers?