Land of Conclusions

On my way home from the airport this morning I heard a brief excerpt from a Phil Collins song, and instantly I transmogrified that into "Land of Conclusions."  Why?  Because I've watched over the past year, as we've done what we've done, people reach conclusions absent all the facts.

With the advent of the internet, social media, and hand-held portable communication the entire world has changed, and although some of us that use these technologies to our advantage are as careful as possible to try to be as clear as possible we are still just a part of the "noise" of life. It is the noise that distorts every message and allows for misinterpretation, confusion, and unwarranted conclusions.

And yet, it is our own fault. We know what we mean when we use this keyboard, but because we do we assume others will. We know when we give with noble purpose that our purpose is indeed noble and that others will realize it as so.

Here's the problem: We know what we know, but we overlook what others don't know, and thereby set the stage for others to draw mistaken conclusions from what we've given them, or that they've obtained from "sources" they deem reliable.

The ramifications of extrapolating from limited data are well known within the scientific community, but in the social media community extrapolation is almost the norm, yet unfortunately there are really no conseqences to those who practice it.

What this means for those of us in business is this: each time someone takes it upon themselves to embellish a fact, or draw an unwarranted conclusion to polish their own reputations as "having insider knowledge" the only damage done will be to the unwitting victim. It doesn't cost the perpetrator a penny.

Here's my advice for those of you who, in your zeal to break the latest news or have the latest pseudo insider information speak out of turn: Take a deep breath, use that phone that is much smarter than you to dial my number, and ask me questions. I will answer honestly, forthrightly, and completely. I will then ask you to respect those confidences that, when broken, may impact the future of my business, my children, and my ability to do for those I love what I love to do. Fail to do that, and you've revealed the essence of your character, or lack thereof, as the case may be.

Where we all fail in this process is not that we haven't imparted information, but in that we've failed to have an actual conversation, and thereby wander into "The Land of Conclusions."  We are all guilty.