| Leaders often grumble that their people are not making big-picture decisions.
Understandable. Research shows that people make the most efficient decisions when looking at the big picture. But the brain doesn’t distinguish between big picture and small picture. It is busy processing the influx of daily data to predict what might happen next and then prepare the body accordingly to keep it alive and well. Safety is a top priority. Not surprisingly, big-picture decisions are easier when the brain feels safe, ready to wade into unpredictable territory, like contemplating greater impact. Researchers have noted that safety occurs when people experience psychological distance, for example, exploring a situation from the perspective of a future timeframe or a hypothetical. And in theory, that does sound safe and even amusing. Practically speaking, however, people often operate in chaos without the luxury of future timeframes and concocted hypotheticals. But there’s an uplifting alternative: connection. In an interview with The New York Times, banking executive Thasunda Brown Duckett shared this story. When Thasunda was named CEO of Chase Auto Finance at JP Morgan, she headed straight to the mailroom. She said, “Keep doing your job with excellence. If you don’t put that payment in the right chute, and it accidentally goes to mortgage, then the customer doesn’t post on time, they’re upset, and they end up closing their account with us. “You start this entire process. So, when you hear me talk about our customer experience having improved, brush your shoulders off.” In other words, be proud. They must have been standing tall when they responded, “You know we got you.” Thasunda connected the actions of the mailroom employees with Chase’s commitment to customer experience. She didn’t just implore this team to “think big picture!” She figuratively drew a line for them between their job of sorting mail and the satisfaction of Chase customers. She not only created safety; she created importance. She emboldened the mailroom employees to feel the significance of their seemingly small actions. That’s big-picture leadership. © 2021. Ann Tardy and Mentor Lead. www.mentorlead.com | www.anntardy.com |
