Why Past Successes Can Be a Decision-Making Trap

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Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

One of the most common habits that leads to terrible decisions is remaining locked in the past.

We rely on the same old data or processes, failing to understand that they may be based on assumptions that are no longer true.

o It’s important to keep those base assumptions in mind when applying the tried and true.

o Question the data and processes you’re used to, and ask whether they can be updated or improved. Just because they worked in the past doesn’t mean they’ll work in the future.

o If you continue to do this, you can avoid the stuck-in-the-past pitfall and become a more effective decision maker.

Adapted from “ 9 Habits That Lead to Terrible Decisions” by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman.

To check out that resource and join the discussion, please click here.

Also, you may wish to check out an anthology, Management Tips from Harvard Business Review, by clicking here.

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