Beware of Binary Thinking in Decision Making

Beware binary choices.

If you think you only have two options, think again. You’re almost certainly wrong.

On a recent road trip, I listened again to Dan Hill’s 1977 hit song, Sometimes When We Touch. It’s a beautifully written song and, like many great love ballads, it’s clearly autobiographical.

What struck me most however is this stark lyric in the song: “I’d rather hurt you honestly than mislead you with a lie.”

That line got me thinking. Really? Did he really just have two choices? How about showing vulnerability, admitting confusion, asking for more time or telling the truth gently and kindly?

When we confront difficult situations in life or business, we often feel we only have two options to choose from. The two choices are all-too-often both bad, a catch-22.

But that’s frequently a false choice. “Black or white” thinking is a poverty of imagination, the limited output of a stressed mind.

Much more likely, you have a range of options – not just shades of grey, but a full spectrum of colours.

So the next time you catch yourself grappling with a binary choice, pause and ask yourself: How can I blend the two choices to get a third way?

Once you do that, you will soon notice a fourth, fifth and sixth choice. And now you are far more likely to make a good decision.