Is Common Sense at all Common?

Why common sense is as vital today as it ever was

When I was very young, my parents bought me a book of Aesop’s Fables. It contained large, colourful illustrations, was one of my favourite reads for a while and, in particular, I loved the story of the Tortoise and the Hare.

We all know how it goes – in a race, the slow and steady tortoise wins over the arrogant hare who stops for a sleep half-way through.

But do you know what happened next? That evening, the woodland animals gathered in the village hall for a party to celebrate the tortoise’s victory. Unfortunately, badger drank a bit too much and knocked over a candle, which set fire to the curtains. The animals unanimously agreed that the fastest of them should be sent to get the fire brigade and, as had been proven just that afternoon, that was the tortoise so off he went. Of course, it took him ages to run there and, by the time a fire engine was on scene, the forest had burned down and all the animals were dead. (Apologies to Lord Dunsany.)

So, the first entry in my new book of fables says this: while you may have convincing evidence, don’t forget to use your common sense.

Unfortunately, common sense seems to be increasingly less common than one would hope. Why do some people still choose not to wear a car seatbelt? It doesn’t take much to understand why being thrown through a windscreen is going to be bad for you. They won’t halt the pandemic by themselves but do face masks help curb the spread of coronavirus? Well, yes, given it can be transmitted through the air, so why are some people against wearing one?

Maybe you could blame the rise of the “nanny state” as new regulations that attempt to look after us simultaneously remove the need for us to think for ourselves. Maybe it’s down to a growing reliance on technology. Maybe the Illuminati are putting something in the water we drink (although common sense makes me think there’s no grand conspiracy at work here).

Common sense is not always particularly common in the commercial world either. In fact, if you want to be amused but lose half an hour of your life (as I just did), search Google for a list of bad business and product ideas – you’ll learn of such wonders as expensive bottled water for pets, a soft drink called “Cocaine”, a company that sold ghosts in jars and, perhaps my favourite, Tinder for people looking for a fight. Even if the originators of these concepts had research to support the belief they were on course to make millions, clearly at no point did they think to ask others blessed with a little more common sense for their opinions. And in the cases where large companies were involved rather than start-ups, they can be considered as more proof that the wisdom of crowds is not a real phenomenon.

An inability to exercise common sense is not restricted to large decisions and frequently exists in routine business operations, policies and actions. For example, even if it’s stated clearly in your terms and conditions as being your right, it probably isn’t wise to take action that alienates your clients and a better idea to offer flexibility or negotiate a compromise. Similarly, as Elon Musk has found out to his cost, tweeting criticism of others and comments that trigger a federal lawsuit is not going to do wonders for your personal or corporate reputations.

Bringing this home to my industry, executive recruitment, I have observed many instances when common sense has been absent. This includes the company a couple of years ago that cancelled all relationships with recruitment consultancies and then drowned under the weight of hiring programmes that it did not have the capability or capacity to deliver itself, which resulted in corporate gridlock and lost revenue. Then there was the director of a consultancy I knew who read an article about the relationship between volume and profit and, without seeking much further information or support, made ill-considered changes to his business model that subsequently drove his company into the ground when his sums no longer added up.

To be clear, I’m not arguing that evidence, data and analysis are of no use because of course they are – whole industries and corporate functions have grown to collect, collate and study data so that relevant, impactful and actionable insight can be incorporated into companies’ decision making processes. However, even the best evidence, data and insight are not sufficient in themselves but must still be interpreted and understood through the filters of experience, knowledge and common sense. In 2001, 1.5% of respondents to the New Zealand national census recorded their religion as “Jedi”, meaning the data said that 53,000 Kiwis knew how to harness The Force, but that’s clearly not true.

Nothing that I’ve written in this article is particularly clever, innovative or unique but then that’s the point – it’s about common sense. Instead, this is just a cry to everyone to actually use it, to seek win / win scenarios, drive partnerships, offer value for money, be flexible and otherwise make sensible, reasoned decisions that stand up to passing scrutiny.

In fact, I’d go so far as to say that doing so might just make the world a better place. And I don’t think anyone needs to write a fable for the appeal of that to be understood.