You are the captain of a ship that is sailing from Singapore to Auckland with a cargo that needs to be kept cold and will lose its freshness if you don’t arrive within a few days of your schedule.
The navigator bounds onto the bridge, brandishing a sheaf of papers. “There’s stormy weather ahead, captain! I recommend changing course to bypass the cyclones that are forming. It will delay our arrival by 48 hours, but at least we will be safe.”
The engineer hears the shouting and tells you that any delay of more than a few hours will be a problem. “I canna keep the engines running and the refrigeration going at full power for two extra days. We will run out of fuel.”
At this, the second officer reminds you that any delay will cost the company a great deal of money. “If we don’t deliver the cargo on time, it will degrade and we will incur a huge performance penalty.”
The safety officer steps forward. “If we sail through these cyclones, we are exposing the crew to danger that is avoidable. It would be a violation of our safety procedures and protocol.”
You have to make a decision.
You have to understand the problem, consider the options, and then take the necessary actions.
In order to do that, you need to weigh all the possibilities together, not one at a time.
But that’s what addressing a…
