Wednesday with Avrom – Magic 8 Ball!

The late CEO of Intel, Andy Grove, used to say about decisions, “[They] don’t wait…. You have to make them when you have to make them.” It is hard enough to make decisions individually, but anyone who has worked in a large organization appreciates the difficulty when many people are involved. 

During the latter part of Avrom’s career in government, he was a senior lawyer in the U.S. Department of Energy. Very often decisions were required that involved uncertain outcomes. 

Each new proposed regulation had ramifications that were far-reaching and many specialists were needed to evaluate factors that had to be considered. The litigators had a weighty decision to make as to whether or not big oil companies would vigorously oppose the regulation. And, if big oil challenged the regulation in court, which court would likely be chosen and what would be the chance of prevailing. The politicos would predict the congressional reaction, political ramifications, and media response, while the economist had strong views based on a myriad of assumptions. 

Each group played their own game of ‘chess’ with possible outcomes and were hell-bent on their positions. They were stymied because of internal division and difference of opinion on what was the best course of action.  

Avrom understood that when the normal course of analysis doesn’t yield a definitive result, people are eager to run to a non-analytical source. It could be a miracle worker, clairvoyant, or some other irrational omen such as a Magic 8 Ball, anyone or anything that can provide direction and decisiveness.

Avrom’s modus operandi was to stay neutral, avoid playing any political games, and wait until the individuals involved came to him to resolve the uncertainty. 

“Avrom, you are a wise man of God, what should we do?” He knew they wanted a direct answer, and not a technical analysis. He wisely chose to employ his well-honed theatrical skills. He would pretend there was a crystal ball, hold his hands with his palms facing it, close his eyes and look pensive for a few moments. “The oracle can only say what he sees.” He would then authoritatively tell them, without explaining his reasoning, what he thought should be done.

Avrom enjoyed watching the joy that appeared on their faces. He had relieved them of the anxiety of making a decision that was chancy. Avrom learned from Maimonides, a medieval Jewish philosopher, “there is no joy greater than the resolution of doubt.” 

Here’s the lesson – unlike Avrom, few of us are in the position to make far reaching decisions; nevertheless, our sphere of influence is larger than we think. We should appreciate that often reasonable and smart people can have opposing views and that they are seeking anything upon which to grab. Ultimately, a decision must be made. 

Avrom’s crystal ball shtick likely will not work for us. But, digging deeper, it wasn’t just the crystal ball that gave Avrom power, it was his unusual ability to accept full responsibility for his decisions. Regardless of where we are in an organization, we are empowered, even though perhaps unwillingly, to make difficult decisions. As David Ogilvy said “there is no shortage of people with brains — however, the spinal column seems to be in much shorter supply!” Leadership is the acceptance of responsibility. Try it. 

This is part 29 in the Wednesday with Avrom series, please check out more here.