Build a Mental Board of Experts

Are you not amazed by some people who can think of solutions and make decisions that are bulletproof, airtight, and can seem to withstand criticism and pushbacks really well. Sometimes even in areas where they are not an expert in, they can provide insights that appear well thought of despite not having the time to research on the topic or had substantial experience with that topic in the past.

How do they do it? How can we do it?

One technique I learned is to build a mental board of experts. Seasoned thought leaders have this skill which is the ability to destroy their own ideas to give way to better ideas. Some ideas look great at first glance but we may fail to see their downstream impact because of our blind spots or fail to consider important variables we don't know exists. This is not an easy skill to master because it feels good to come up with solutions quickly so we can move on and start thinking about other important stuff. We also feel a sense of accomplishment if we're the first one to get an idea on the table, making us appear smart or ahead of the rest. This motivates us to think fast which isn't good on every occasion.

It is true that some ideas and decisions can be made in a blink of an eye. This is a unique superpower we all have and this power is acquired from combining life experience, precedence, lessons from failures, and historical successes. But not everything should be decided on this quickly, and a good amount of our everyday decisions need more careful analysis and scrutiny before we actually make the call. As a matter of fact, there is at least 1 important decision we can't make easily every single day. Things like your company strategies, hiring decisions, financial spending, investment choices, and the likes need more thought and analysis because making a mistake can cost you or your organization a whole lot of time and resources.

This is why it's good to build a mental board of experts so that as thoughts and ideas formulate in your head, you can subject these ideas through your panel of experts who can break that idea down into smaller parts and challenge them to see which of them fall apart when constructive criticism is applied to it. If your ideas break under the pressure quickly, it tells you that the idea or decision wasn't the best and there are perspectives you need to further consider before putting forward another idea. If they hold, it gives you the confidence you might be on to something good and you can proceed with the next step.

My current mental board of experts is comprised of people I know personally, and people I got to know through their books and research. With the people I know, these are former professors, bosses, and peers both younger and older than I am. I value their thoughts because they come from a place of expertise, or whom I believe has the acumen and maturity to handle the situation I currently find myself in. The others are people whose books or research on strategy, finance, technology, innovation, decision making, and leadership I look up to as my guiding principles. Building a good mix of people into your panel gives you a wider lens to see things through and this gives you your competitive advantage to see what other people don't. You need not overcomplicate this exercise, and you should feel comfortable swapping people in and out of your panel if you meet or find people that you believe can better take your thinking to the next level.

I use this panel of experts mainly to challenge my initial thoughts and insights. I picture them as if they are in front of me and I hear play their voices in my head as if they are questioning my ideas in real life. I borrow their perspective and line of thought to check if they see something I don't. From their experience and my exposure to their way of thinking, I filter my ideas by them to check how strong my ideas or decisions are. If my ideas don't survive the mental bombardment my panel throws at it, it tells me that I haven't arrived at the best possible solution that my mind and experience can think of and I better go back to the drawing board. By destroying your initial thoughts, you are presented with an opportunity to come up with something better. Then from better to best. This is a process you cannot rush.

Now, I don't intend to put all my ideas through this panel because and nor should you. Not all decisions need this level of scrutiny. Bank on your experiences, foundational education, as well as beliefs because they have helped you reach this far in your life or career. But when faced with very important and critical decisions that can affect key aspects of your life, like family, your work and your strategies, your organization and its people, it is always handy to have a panel of experts to lean on to ensure your ideas and decisions are stable and sound.