a well-informed guess
Things work better when they’re directionally accurate, directionally aligned.
And there’s no such thing as 100% confidence in any direction a company takes or decision a company makes.
Think about the last time you tried so hard to make even an email perfect. Did you ever get there? Or at some point, did you edit one too many times and just hit send?
I do that kind of thing plenty.
Some thoughts on being more comfortable with “directionally accurate” execution.
Iterative learning: Directionally accurate decisions give us room for fast iterations and learning. Course-correct instead of standing still.
Embrace uncertainty: A well-informed guess helps us move and take action. There’s no such thing as perfect information. Action and adaptability beats the pursuit of perfection.
Empower teams: Let teams make decisions (link to decision making post). And then don’t do anything to make them afraid to be wrong. Foster ownership and empower teammates to act.
Stop over-optimizing: Learn to recognize when “good enough” is actually good enough. That means write -> edit -> revise -> send. Or design -> review -> revise -> publish.
Focus on the metrics that matter: Don’t get bogged down in details. Watch the key metrics that pull the business forward. This helps maintain direction.
If I could boil it down to one reason why directionally accurate beats precisely accurate, it’s this:
Speed.
Not pedal-to-the-metal, two hands white-knuckling the steering wheel speed. Moving too fast doesn’t allow for course corrections.
Go fast enough to build momentum with room to maneuver.
Directionally yours,
Peter
PS: Do you try to make things perfect before you hit send or press publish? Or is it just me?