Note: This is an audio version of the latest IoNTELLIGENCE Professional Development Brief. While podcasts are usually only available to paid Community Members, this one is available to everyone.
IoNTELLIGENCE draws on science and strategy to help busy people achieve professional success, personal transformation, and lasting happiness in ten minutes a week.
Time Investment: 10 Minutes.
Goal: Provide a quick but effective 5-step framework to help you make better decisions.
I don’t read much fiction, but when I do, it’s almost always spy novels.
I love the propulsive plots and globe-spanning set pieces. But the best reads also feature super-smart analysts and operatives playing three-dimensional chess against the bad guys.
Intelligence agencies like the CIA must be world-class information processors and problem solvers. Their “product” is insight, and their client is the most powerful person on Earth. Interestingly, the CIA defines “Intelligence” as providing principals like the President a “decision advantage,” and that’s what I strive to do for my IoNTELLIGENCE readers (and podcast listeners).
We may not face choices with the same stakes as POTUS, but they still matter greatly to us. That’s why we must become more strategic in our approach to problems.
If you’re still considering alternatives with “pros” and “cons” columns, it’s time to raise your game. These days, when information is plentiful but understanding is elusive, I recommend that my executive coaching clients develop a methodology to use each time they examine options.
Here’s how one of the agency’s best analysts approaches complex decisions.
Note: Hat tip to IoNTELLIGENCE Community Member Dr. Talat Chughtai for suggesting this addition to my Professional Development Brief format - for particularly busy professionals:
🚨 If You Only Do One Thing From This List
Always ask and answer this crucial question:
What is the ultimate goal that I’m trying to accomplish?
🏆 Key Takeaways
The IoNTELLIGENCE Top 5®️ Ways to Analyze Problems Like the CIA: Find the real question. Identify the drivers. Decide on your metrics. Collect the information and assess your confidence level. Ask yourself: what are you missing?
Share this post