We receive many answers. Yes, no, maybe...silence. All are forms of answers.
I was faced with a rather unique epiphany to a rather old and repeated answer to a question I asked of a prospective client today. I won't get into the question, or it's answer. What I will discuss is the epiphany.
The answer didn't serve my purpose.
My options were a) accept the answer as gospel; b) re-ask the question, but in a different manner; c) try to change the situation that made the answer correct, or d) find the real answer elsewhere. I may have missed an option, this is a complex scenario. But the summary above served my purpose, and in the spirit of expediency, I limited it to those three.
How should I address this?
Step 1: Assess the individual. Is there historical precedence that would lead me to believe that the person is not being truthful? Is there precedence that the person may believe what he or she is saying, with the answer being incorrect? Does this person even have the ability to empirically answer the question at hand? Take an educated guess, and let it steer you in a direction. Trust, but verify.
Step 2: All of the outcomes of Step 1 lead to the same result. Ask someone else. This may require you to go up or down the food chain. If you believe the person is lying, or not being truly candid, an answer may lie elsewhere. Dig around the edges to see where it takes you. If you find that the person is incorrect in their assessment, you weren't talking to the right person. If the answer, after scrutiny, is correct then you may move to Step 3. If the answer is proven to be incorrect, stop here, file this away for future reference, and continue your process unhindered.
Step 3: The answer is indeed correct. As it doesn't serve your purpose how do you overcome this, accept it as a fight not worth fighting, or change the situation to be more in line with your purpose?
Step 4: I'm saving Step 4 for a later post.
For now, try Steps 1-3. Listen, analyze, and doubt or trust......but verify.
I was faced with a rather unique epiphany to a rather old and repeated answer to a question I asked of a prospective client today. I won't get into the question, or it's answer. What I will discuss is the epiphany.
The answer didn't serve my purpose.
My options were a) accept the answer as gospel; b) re-ask the question, but in a different manner; c) try to change the situation that made the answer correct, or d) find the real answer elsewhere. I may have missed an option, this is a complex scenario. But the summary above served my purpose, and in the spirit of expediency, I limited it to those three.
How should I address this?
Step 1: Assess the individual. Is there historical precedence that would lead me to believe that the person is not being truthful? Is there precedence that the person may believe what he or she is saying, with the answer being incorrect? Does this person even have the ability to empirically answer the question at hand? Take an educated guess, and let it steer you in a direction. Trust, but verify.
Step 2: All of the outcomes of Step 1 lead to the same result. Ask someone else. This may require you to go up or down the food chain. If you believe the person is lying, or not being truly candid, an answer may lie elsewhere. Dig around the edges to see where it takes you. If you find that the person is incorrect in their assessment, you weren't talking to the right person. If the answer, after scrutiny, is correct then you may move to Step 3. If the answer is proven to be incorrect, stop here, file this away for future reference, and continue your process unhindered.
Step 3: The answer is indeed correct. As it doesn't serve your purpose how do you overcome this, accept it as a fight not worth fighting, or change the situation to be more in line with your purpose?
Step 4: I'm saving Step 4 for a later post.
For now, try Steps 1-3. Listen, analyze, and doubt or trust......but verify.
Comments