Improving Reliability with Good Judgment

Improving Reliability with Good Judgment

At an early concept meeting discussing the technical strategy for the new product, the engineering teams were at an impasse. The decision matrix balanced out with three distinct options. Product reliability differed slightly with each option yet presented risks just as the considerations of cost, complexity, feature set, and time to market.

The project manager, the leader of the development program, asked a few questions, asked for input from the director of engineering, and selected a path forward.

The team accepted the decision. The project went well. Yet, I’ve often wondered how did she know which option to select. I also learned to trust her judgment on difficult decisions.

In the January-February 2020 issue of the Harvard Business Review, Sir Andrew Likierman wrote an article titled, “The Elements of Good Judgment.” He examined leaders’ ability to cultivate good judgment, the ability to blend their approach to decision making with relevant knowledge to make decisions. Those with good judgment tend to identify important aspects of the available information, see patterns or relationships, and effectively counter their own biases and limitations.