Did we push common sense out the door?

Why do you think common sense has left the room?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, common sense is:
‘the basic level of practical knowledge and judgment that we all need to help us live in a reasonable and safe way.’

Or more simply:
‘the ability to think and behave in a reasonable way and make good decisions.’

Whichever way you look at it - commonsense to me is being able to make a decision and take action without every step spelled out for you.

Common sense was drilled into me - I can still hear my dad bellowing ‘where’s your bloody commonsense’ when I did something silly, like it was a magic amulet I wore around my neck and accidentally left on the back of the toilet door.

I saw this as one of my greatest superpowers. Where academic qualifications are lacking, being able to assess a situation, work things out and get moving without needing a step-by-step guide is gold.

As a manager, it is one of the few things that would really frustrate me. I could be understanding of mistakes, ready to support growth and learning - but when I knew it came from what I perceived as a lack of ‘common sense’ I could feel the frustration rising. My instructions have been known to drip with sarcasm. Yes, ironically counterproductive.

But what I have started to realise is, as the old saying goes ‘Common sense is not that common’.

Lately I have been working with people whose greatest frustration as leaders is team members

• struggle to make general decisions

• wait for instruction between tasks

• avoid taking initiative

• hesitate to act without explicit direction

And before everyone says ‘Oh this is just the younger generation.’ This isn’t just young people. Many of these frustrations are of people who have been in the workforce for some time.

So, I am curious as to what you see the issue is.

Is it the prevalence of processes and procedures?

Systemisation originally came into workplaces to help with manufacturing and other similar product creation to assure consistency and fewer mistakes.

But since the 90’s we have really started to introduce a process and procedure for every step in a business or organisation.

Hey, as a rule follower I love a good procedure - but has this eroded people's confidence in making practical decisions?

Are they more fearful of the consequences of getting it wrong than looking slack?

Has this fear permeated through the ranks adding to the ‘micro-management’ we hear about time and time again.

It is certainly something that I want to know more about.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this or if it is something you struggle with as a leader - reach out - I can certainly help you navigate