The term ‘no brainer’ means it’s an easy decision requiring little mental effort. Does this cliché disrespect the power of our brain and our judgement capabilities? My concern is that over stating this phrase can insidiously undermine our brain usage and we will make poorer decisions as a result.
What was the worst business decision you ever made? What did it cost you? And what was the best business decision you ever made? What rewards did it bring you?
The consulting group Cap Gemini interviewed 270 senior managers reporting to the boards of companies with turnovers of more than £200 million a year for its ‘Business Decisiveness Report’. They found that while each makes an average of 20 “business critical” decisions each year, or roughly once a fortnight, 24% of these are – by their own admission – wrong. The report calculates that each decision is worth £167,267, putting the cost of each year’s mistakes at some £800,000 per person per year. Bad decisions cost Britain dear
Businesses are built on brain power, yet are we being fair to this most important organ? We have 1,000,000,000,000 brain cells, yet we use only about 5% of our brain capacity on average. The number of internal maps of thought a brain is capable of producing is 1 followed by 10.5 million kilometres of standard typewritten zeros (11pt); and it would take a scientist 132 years to count the impulses in the brain generated in one thought process! (Reference: The Age Heresy by Tony Buzan and Raymond Keene). This is better than the greatest super computers by a long way.
We need to maintain our incredible brain to make sure it has a fighting chance to make good decisions. Do you:
- Drink enough water?
- Have enough fresh air and oxygen where you work?
- Exercise to stimulate blood to the brain
- Eat the right sort of food?
- Get enough rest?
So please say no to the ‘no brainer’ and make the most of your mental abilities, because:
“We sometimes see a fool possessed of talent but never of judgement” Francois Duc de la Rochefoucald.
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