It is possible to effectively make decisions even if you have incomplete or contradictory advice. This is what Sir David Omand GCB and I talk about in this episode. David became the Head of the British GCHQ which is responsible for gathering communication intelligence and advising the government on various matters. He is also the author of the book How Spies Think: 10 Lessons in Intelligence.
In this episode we discuss:
- [02:04] Recounting his experience working in the ministry of defence.
- [09:03] What stops people from acting on something they know.
- [11:28] An overview of the seize model to help you make better decisions.
- [14:57] How to know the right place to look for what you need.
- [26:26] Drawing the line between preparedness becomes paranoia.
- [30:19] Business examples of having systems in place for managing risk.
- [35:05] The difference of misinformation and disinformation.
- [39:26] Challenging information and doing it that it’s received well.
- [42:42] Taking intuition in reasoning and keeping faculties sharp when dealing with high stakes decisions.
