My next-door neighbor when I was growing up was a trueadventurer. She made trips all over the world, including, amazinglyenough, one to the North Pole. In preparation for her grueling tripacross the miles of ice, she would rollerblade in the neighborhood,dragging a tire from a rope tied around her waist. Needless to say,she received some funny looks. Although most kept their opinions tothemselves, one passerby apparently recognized a hint of themonastic in her training. He remarked, “I don't even want to knowwhat you did to deserve that penance.”

The history of people's reactions to their own poor choices is afascinating one. Although most don't go to the lengths of medievalmonks to try to rid themselves of guilty feelings after a baddecision, a poor judgment call on the job can be a haunting specterfor a long time afterward, injuring self-confidence, damagingrelationships, and impeding career goals. Many have questionedwhether there is much point in “crying over spilt milk,” yet thereis utter unanimity regarding the merits of avoiding bad decisionsin the first place.

While perfection is never a realistic human goal, there are waysto improve our decision-making skills. Among the most significantof these are learning to minimize mental distractions, knowing whenyou should seek advice, and developing a practical approach to make sure that you arespending more time on what matters most.

Hungry, Tired, and Distracted

Although some of the psychological and physiological factorsthat go into poor decision-making can be quite complex, the mostcommon are far less mysterious. Making sound judgments when tired,hungry, or dehydrated can be a real challenge. I have beencontinuously struck as a parent to see how my children exhibit someof their worst behaviors when one of these three basic culprits isto blame. Sure, growth and maturity can help us to moderate theeffects of fatigue, but our physical needs can represent asignificant distraction in our adult lives as well. The timelesscaveat against doing things “on an empty stomach” and the old adageto “sleep on it” are invaluable considerations when you have animportant decision at hand.

Phone a Friend

A big part of making prudent decisions is realizing when youcan't make them all by yourself. That's why the best leaders try tosurround themselves with knowledgeable people who are good atgiving sound advice. As the old proverb goes, “Plans fail for lackof counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22)The wise know the extent of their knowledge; can admit andrecognize their blind spots; and will seek out advice when theyknow they need it.

Ethics and the Dollar

Of course, decisions in a claim department often must be madequickly. While this can be challenging for the more pensive amongour ranks, the task can usually be managed chiefly through a properattention to priorities. Perhaps the two biggest factors toconsider are ethics and money. Barring a significant ethicalconsideration, decisions involving minor amounts of money usuallyshould be made more quickly, and the analyses of subordinates andpeers should be more readily trusted.

When more money or an ethical dilemma is at issue, a greaterlevel of time and care is usually in order. “Trust but verify” thenbecomes an important rule of thumb even after receiving advice fromthe most faithful advisor. The temptation to rush must be resisted;a snap judgment can be way too costly to your career or to thewelfare of others.

Recovering After a Blunder

One of my favorite stories from Greek mythology is aboutPandora. Known above all else for her curiosity, Pandora feltcompelled to find out what was inside a chest the gods had markedas forbidden. When she popped the lid, disease, mischief, strife,sorrows, and a host of other evils escaped before she could closeit down again. But for whatever reason, the gods had included hopewith the misfortunes. The ancient Greeks regarded her escape as atremendous blessing, as they believed that hope was humanity'ssole, consistent comfort in life.

If you have made a poor decision, then remember the value ofhope. Don't overreact. Do what damage control you can, and then tryto let it go and focus on the future. Being overly self-criticalusually serves no useful purpose. This neither corrects problemsnor helps you prepare for the next decision. That said, let's leavethe self-mortification to monks.

Many regard the making of tough decisions as one of the evils ofPandora's Box, but a “hopeful” side of the process can be found inits challenge. Perhaps none loved a dilemma more than Dr. JohnHunter, an 18th-century English doctor whom is considered to be thepre-eminent pioneer of modern surgery. Dr. Hunter's manydiscoveries — including breakthroughs involving fetal development,the lymphatic system, and blood circulation — brought about ahigher understanding of anatomy and physiology to the medicalcommunity while helping clarify many of the misconceptions oftraditional medicine.

His unorthodox style and lack of concern for convention made Dr.Hunter a natural target, but he remained undeterred even in thegreatest storms of criticism. This resilience seems to have comefrom his love of solving problems. In fact, he came to regard thedilemma as one of life's most rewarding challenges, once remarkingthat “I love to be puzzled, for then I am sure that I shall learnsomething valuable.”

Barrett A. Evans, CPCU, AIC, is a regional claim managerwith Insurance House in Winston-Salem, N.C. He may be reached at866-268-8383; [email protected].