Where to seek for good counsel?
Google it! Just kidding...
Why do we tend to want more people aboard to solve problems? In this mad era of accessible yet unreliable information, where should we get directions? I mean the right directions!
We ask where to eat, how to eat healthily, how to master social media, when we should exercise, etc. We Google it, and we ask friends on platforms like Facebook or Instagram. Some call their parents or even WhatsApp message close friends while others go on platforms like Quora that gather hundreds of answers and ranks them.
Isn't that enough?
The truth is that those are all great options for gathering opinion, getting out of our own perspective, and using the technology that we have available. However, have you noticed that bringing too many people aboard can result in an even bigger problem?
David Niven wrote, "We believe there is no problem we can't solve if we throw enough people at it... They add incoherence, they add filters that keep information from you, and they add an even more powerful layer of fixation on the problem" [1].
Have you ever heard or experienced complaints of people about a company or team in the lines of "It is just so hard to get things done here!" Usually, it is because there are too many people with too many inputs and too much ego.
Seeking others' opinion is important. It is vital not to close your mind to your own perspectives. However, when trying to solve a problem in an era where we are bombarded with information, the fewer people but, the more different means gold.
Gathering information can actually become an impediment to action! There is just too much out there. Are you sure that when uncertain you want to bring even more options? Wouldn't that make you overwhelmed?
It makes me!
The Netflix Problem
Please, take a moment to think about the times when you sit down and want to choose something new to watch on Netflix.
There are so many options, genres, and information on each show or movie that you keep scrolling up and down for hours! Then, you get tired and go back to the same show that you have already watched 3,000 times.
You go back to safe.
When seeking many opinions from all over, we put ourselves in doubt on which one to act on!
We become paralyzed.
Just like when we are in doubt about choosing that documentary that has four stars or that new Netflix original that has a killer trailer, in the end, we go back to Friends!
So, what to do?
When facing a problem, seek counsel from a few, and from a few that are different from you.
We all tend to keep focusing on the problem. Obsessing! Then, of course, we cannot see solutions.
So, take some time to see what someone that is completely different than you could think and stop there! Let's not overwhelm our tired, hard-working brains.
If you are that girl with blue hair and tattoos, talk to an accountant with glasses. If you are conservative, talk to someone that you consider a risk-taker. If you are young, talk to someone older.
Got the idea?
Then, between your vision and theirs, you can think of a perfect mid-ground and act from there! Instead of having similar, different, stupid, or too technical views that might paralyze you.
Remember, more is not always better! Get the right counsel and act.