One of the best articles I’ve seen on FTGN for awhile.
“Optimal ignorance,” a deliberately contrarian term, “refers to the importance of knowing what it is not worth knowing. It requires great courage to implement. It is far, far easier to demand more and more information than it is to abstain from demanding it.” In other words, seeking optimal ignorance requires deliberately going about not wasting energy or time on information that distracts from the primary inquiry.
Optimal Ignorance: A Filter for Intent-Based Leadership Above the Tactical Level – From the Green Notebook
We have been trained to pay attention to detail and ‘check small things.’ And these days, we have the technology and the means to keep constant tabs on everything and everyone.
The information is all there and available.
To be truly effective, though, we don’t need all of that information. In fact, too much information becomes paralyzing.
It takes maturity and confidence to realize you don’t need to know. You don’t have to have input or an opinion, either.
This is especially true for senior leaders. Every time a senior leader speaks, there’s a good chance those words are going to get scribbled down into a book and transformed into an order, tasking, or inquiry.
Even a simple request for clarification can turn into a multi-day goose chase for obscure information.
Of course, buying into optimal ignorance requires a great deal of trust within an organization. One of those things that briefs well, but might be hard to implement.
Related to this is the concept of “just-in-time” information. To squeeze the most out of a day, your system needs to be optimized to not saddle you down with information you don’t need right now. It should arrive precisely when you need it.
I, for one, choose to be just in time and optimally ignorant.
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Carrying the Gun 