What I Learned as a Juror that's Useful at Work.

Recently, I served as a juror in a criminal case. It was one of the most difficult tasks that I’ve ever undertaken but the most rewarding as well. 

Imagine the dynamic of twelve strangers selected by the Prosecutor and Defence Lawyer to collaborate, groupthink and deliberate on a guilty or not guilty verdict. Within minutes from selection, you are moved to another room with eleven other jurors to serve a case.

To illustrate the degree of difficulty in accomplishing this task, and certainly by no means comparable, think about an Escape Room Adventure where the escape rate is usually less than ten percent (10%). Participants rely on each other to escape a locked room by finding and solving all the hidden clues in under an hour. To be successful, you need to talk to each other but listen, don’t get bogged down, and don’t be shy about asking for help. 

Thankfully, I was surrounded by eleven of the smartest, most empathetic and logical people that I’ve ever collaborated with - three of whom I would hire in a heartbeat. This diverse group comprised of four generations that quickly established respect, understood the importance of bringing members less vocal into the conversation, openly shared perspective, evaluated and debated every evidence and testimony, and, more importantly, listened. 

Each juror understood the weight of their decision was a matter of life and death. We spent 13 days together including two intense days of deliberation to reach a unanimous verdict. Invariably, we bonded over one of the toughest decisions we’ll ever make in our lives - the fate of another person.

This newly charted experience taught me a few things that I will implement at the office:

1.    None of Us Are as Smart as All of Us - when it’s high-stakes, pooling the knowledge & perspective of your team is key.

2.    Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood* - to marginalize your own personal bias & subjectivity when making group decisions, listen and let others speak first.

3.    Laser-like Focus – start every meeting with a clear objective so you don't get bogged down with the "small stuff".

4.    Time Management - Court proceedings were strategically a maximum of 90 minutes at a time from 10am to 4:30pm daily, with multiple breaks in between. This strategy ensures intense focus, productivity & personal well-being.

After jury duty was completed, I was relieved, emotionally drained and physically exhausted. I slept incredibly well that night knowing that we reached our decision with no stone unturned.

*Habit #5 of Stephen R. Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People