Principle vs. precedent
What makes us decide to take action?
This could be buying a phone, trying a new restaurant, reading a book, or watching a movie. Professionally, this could be programming a concert, hiring a conductor, developing an educational program.
We look for precedent.
We look to see how many people have bought a product, how many positive reviews there are. We're much more likely to go to a new restaurant based on a friend's recommendation. We look around at our colleagues and fellow organizations, noticing and studying what they are doing.
Using precedent to make decisions satisfies two human needs: safety and belonging.
We feel safe because data and metrics are concrete. When we follow a precedent, we know we are abiding by clear and known rules. We know there is a high likelihood of success because it's been proven before - someone else has done it.
Todd Rose wrote in Collective Illusions that “we defer to others because we don't trust our personal judgment."
Leaning toward precedent means we can't go wrong and can't be blamed by going with the crowd and the flow. We avoid blame and failure because those may result in potential ostracization. We have a human need to belong. So it seems wise for us to take cues from others and mimic what they do.
The lack of trust in ourselves and FOMO (fear of missing out) affect us both personally and professionally. We feel like if we're not doing what others are doing, we may not be doing it right or doing enough. We conform more than we know or admit, because it’s too risky to do otherwise.
We hold on to safety and yearn for belonging on a normal day, but especially during times of uncertainty.
What if, during uncertainty, what we need is principle?
Following principle means that we know the why behind our actions. It's a backbone that provides us with a confident and meaningful response for, “We are doing this because…” We are intentional about our choices, which may or may not follow the crowd (and it doesn't really matter either way).
Principle allows us to trust ourselves - giving us a deeper sense of safety in all sorts of chaos. This trust enables us to take risks, say no, and color outside the lines. When we or our circumstances waver, feeling safe allows us the capacity to access a wider perspective and alternate possibilities in search for solutions. We honor our integrity via our principles, so setbacks are not as devastating or derailing. Instead, they are additional opportunities to dig deeper and get it more "right” in our books.
What are your principles? Do you find yourself following principles or precedents?
Curious? Sign up to receive an email with each new post!
Prefer to watch/listen instead?
Here's the blog in video format!
