Double Jeopardy: are false dichotomies killing your business?

In a speech defending an increase of troops in Iraq, George W Bush famously stated: '"either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.'' This statement is a classic false dichotomy. Two options are presented as if two and only two options exist. In this example, the implication is that if you are not in support of additional troops in Iraq, then you must be a supporter of terrorism. Clearly, there are other alternatives. Hence, the dichotomy is a false one.

The danger with false dichotomies is that they can be very persuasive. We can easily be led to believe that two and only two options exist where in fact there may be more, or less, than two options.

False dichotomies to watch for in business:

1. Should you focus on strategy or implementation?
This is a false dichotomy because it implies that you need to choose between one or the other. It presents the two choices as mutually exclusive, when in fact they are not. In this case, strategy and implementation are integrally linked. We don't have a choice to focus on one or the other. For more on this, see my earlier blog on internalising strategy.

2. Are you right brained or left brained?  
I think this is one of the most damaging exercises in pigeon-holing that we can do. While self awareness is important, and understanding our strengths and weaknesses is valuable, we shouldn't let definitions become limitations. This applies both to the way we perceive ourselves and the way we perceive others.

As humans we like to classify things and people. It makes our life easier and reduces our need to think critically. I once introduced myself to someone and explained that I was a strategy specialist. Their immediate response was, "oh, you must be good at maths". This response perplexed me. As it happens, I am good at maths, but what has that got to do with strategy? They had perceived strategy as a rigid pursuit of logic and rational planning. Instead, I see strategy as a process of creating the future, one that requires a holistic and creative approach. Designing effective strategy requires both analysis (breaking larger things down into smaller parts) and catalysis (creating something new from smaller constituents).

I'd encourage you to reject the idea that half your brain should be laid to waste and instead embrace holisitc, whole brain thinking.

3. Are you better at hard skills or soft skills?
Again, this is a false distinction. Some people will say that they are good at 'hard' skills, with an implication that these are somehow more important. 'Soft' skills are seen to somehow weak or less significant. In reality, good managers, and that includes good business owners, need a broad range of skills from financial acumen to the ability to deal sensitively with diverse stakeholders.


4. How do you balance work and life?
Now and then people ask me what I do in my spare time. I find this to be an amusing question. To me there is no such thing as 'spare' time. This doesn't mean that I work twenty-four hours a day. There is time spent in paid work, time spent in unpaid work and time spent for leisure, rest and relaxation. Time spent in relaxation is deliberate and purposeful, it's important time - not spare time. All of these activities make up my life, and meaningful work is part of that. If you find yourself seeking 'spare' time, it may be worthwhile reassessing your work to determine how meaningful it is for you.


Avoiding Double Jeopardy

To avoid being trapped by false dichotomies, take the time to stop and think critically before you respond:
Are these two things really mutually exclusive, or are they interlinked?
Are these two options really the only ones, or could there be others, even if they're not obvious?

Keep your eyes open for false dichotomies!