Page 119 - 4- Leading_from_Within

People often question whether or not judgment can be taught, thinking it is
a gift that you either have or have not. Many might say that it must be
developed through the “school of hard knocks.” Certainly, talent and
experience can lead to effective professional judgment, but management

research has demonstrated that acquiring key skills can enhance one’s
competence in making judgments.

Experience without good judgment is worthless; good judgment without
experience is still good judgment. August Ray.

Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad
judgment. Oscar Wilde.

Some people have 20 years of experience, and others have had the 1 year of
experience 20 times.

Being competent in making judgments helps resist getting carried away
with one quality (such as being able to make quick decisions) or one
measure of success (such as landing a good prospect). Good judgment can
lead to courses of action that don’t just “follow the crowd” or “do what
everyone else is doing.” It also takes judgment to know when to approach

your strengths cautiously and when to pull out all the stops. Certainly, the
most effective leaders make a high percentage of successful judgment calls
at the times when it counts the most. Put simply, these judgment calls
determine the success or failure of their organizations.

Unfortunately, good judgment is often lacking in managers and “so-called”

leaders. This is because a strong ego can badly skew leadership
137
judgment. This is particularly disastrous when it involves decisions that
affect people adversely. Research provides convincing evidence that even
the smartest and most experienced people can fall into predictable
judgment traps and biases. One of the most common judgment traps is
138
the tendency to want to immediately solve a problem by making a quick
judgment. That usually leads to accepting the first workable alternative
that is presented, which is likely to result in a less than desirable outcome.

137 The Economist, June 8, 2013, p. 72.
138 KPMG, “ Professional Judgment Framework: Understanding and Developing Professional Judgment
in Auditing,” http://highered.mcgraw-
hill.com/sites/dl/free/0078025435/928521/Professional_Judgment_Module.pdf.

David Kolzow 119