Just as we’ve learned to be purposeful about developing and maintaining personal relationships, wouldn’t it be wise to develop a purposeful approach to truth?
Professionally and personally, we are all pursing some external truth but truth is a moving target with a half-life.
What was true and right for our organizations last quarter might not matter or even apply this quarter and next fiscal year might be a whole new ballgame.
We seek to find truth in high-flying trends or in the practical and tactical.
Some of us abandon the details in favor of the big picture –the 50,000-foot view –but that only ensures we miss the signs and clues all-at-once, instead of one at a time.
Others follow Voltaire, who said, “The best is the enemy of the good”. Practical movement in the right direction is better than not moving until you’ve perfected your approach:
If you want to hang a picture, a stone will drive a nail but a hammer will do the job better. A Jackhammer is much better tool than a hammer and Earthmovers are miracle tools by comparison—but try hanging a picture with a Jackhammer or an Earthmover.
Whether your head is in the clouds or buried in the details, its time for truth or consequences; reevaluate your assumptions of truth or face the consequences.
In 2003, I didn’t use my smartphone much because it didn’t exist; but I did spend a lot of time shopping at Circuit City and renting movies at my local Blockbuster store. The truth that Apple saw and the truths that Circuit City and Blockbuster missed had consequences.
Market making factors and career defining decisions depend on our ability to distinguish the truth that is from the truth that was.
