You’ve probably been impressed by a young person’s good judgment or concluded that a much older person seemed incapable of sound judgment. Does this mean that judgment is an innate talent? While some people have good judgment from a young age, I believe there are four assets that have the potential to make a big difference in the long run.
Let’s deal first with the innate part or raw talent. Some people do indeed have great strength of mind, that is, the ability to get to the heart of a situation without being distracted by details. These people may also have a certain finesse, that is, the ability to untangle easily confused elements and discern what is relevant.
They also demonstrate common sense, that is, they can easily distinguish between true and false, fair and unfair, excessive and measured. Finally, they are not likely to act in a one-dimensional way by being, for example, rigid, reckless or cautious in all circumstances instead of adjusting to each situation.
Over the long term, the development or not of four assets will ensure that certain managers will develop their capacity for judgment continuously and be recognized for having sound judgment concerning people, strategy or during a crisis situation.
These four assets are the ability to assess the situation objectively, maturity or self-confidence, the ability to learn and a practical mind.
Objectivity
Evaluating a situation objectively requires excellent self-awareness, the ability to understand how one’s emotions, paradigms, and values can cloud one’s judgment. A person’s judgment should not be influenced by their role in a situation, whether they are acting as a consultant, a decision-maker, or the person responsible for implementing the decision. Being objective also means that the decision is made without regard to the impact of the decision on one’s image.
Trust
It is often difficult to demonstrate objectivity despite a good capacity for introspection, hence the importance of involving other people, which brings us to the second asset: demonstrating maturity and self-confidence. Decision-making quality is much better when we accept criticism, when we seek out opposing opinions and when we have the courage to be willing to understand what others are saying.
Learning
The third asset is to develop your learning capacity. It is about learning from your mistakes by taking the time to “go up to the balcony”. These times of reflection that you schedule in your schedule allow you to become more efficient, which is particularly useful in new or unstructured contexts.
Practical mind
Aristotle, who is an inexhaustible source of advice, offers the fourth asset, that of having a practical mind. He invites us to seek the best in circumstances and not the best in absolute terms. He warns us against the dreamy or utopian mind and invites us to realism.
The fundamental rules of development such as introspection, feedback and work fuels many skills, including the ability to make informed judgment.
Therefore, having the discipline to take stock of past judgments and maintaining a practical mindset are crucial elements in developing and cultivating good judgment, one of the skills most sought after by employers at all levels of the organization.