From Lose Friends Radio comes this segment called ‘Research’, narrated as an excerpt from one of Jonar’s books. You can read the transcript below, or listen to the original broadcast by clicking on the green play button:
BTB_04_Research.mp3
From the Lose Friends series, here is what Jonar Nader has written about: RESEARCH
The word ‘research’ means to ‘look again’, not ‘go to find out’. In business and in life, to research a subject, first requires some appreciation of the subject at hand. Managers of every persuasion are put in charge of projects they know so little about. They commission research in order to glean some ideas about the direction forward, yet they are in no position to be making decisions. They know this, so they let the data point the way. However, data on its own cannot point the way. That thing we call ‘gut feel’ or ‘intuition’ is still the primary ingredient that must be used in decision making. If a definite feeling does not precede a decision, failure then creeps in with unrestricted access. Alas, how would one show ‘gut feel’ on a chart for the committee’s approval? In modern work life, people rarely matter, because systems and processes seem to have taken over. These days it is rare for one to hear of a thought or an idea being attributed to a person. Instead, managers speak of what the ‘research’ says. They hide behind it as if it had an unshakeable authority of its own.
For information about Jonar’s books, please visit the official website www.LoseFriends.com
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