Movement for change Be realistic in decision making
Many people are over cautious.

When there is uncertainty, they imagine the worse that could happen and use that scenario as the basis for their decision making.

They were probably over trained in scenario planning or in the playing the "devil's advocate".

What is the problem with this approach? 

They became unwilling to take a decision. They are afraid of the consequence. They want other people to decide. They want to follow orders.

We describe this attitude with the local dialect - kiasu. 

But it is a big problem in Singapore. It is part of our national culture. It has developed over several decades.

What is the alternative approach?

Often, I advised people to deal with uncertainty as follows - we do not know if a problem will or will not happen. If the chance is small, we take the risk and deal with the situation if it arises.

Often, the uncertainty is with the law or government regulations. Most people are not sure if certain actions are against the regulation. 

My advise to them is - if it is not clear, you can assume that it is not against the regulation. Do not try to ask somebody else to make an interpretation, because they will also be unsure. 

I have adopted this approach all my life. It worked well for me. It allowed me to take many bold decisions which worked out to my advantage. 

I encourage you to adopt this approach.

Tan Kin Lian
 

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