Resulting is when we tie our results to our actions regardless of why we achieved the outcome.\u00a0 Whether is was skill of luck we change our process or reinforce our process because of the results.\u00a0 Annie Duke explains why this is so dangerous.
\nAs you become a better decision-maker, it\u2019s important to remember that just because something good happened (a good outcome, let\u2019s say) it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that you made a good decision. You can play the odds and make the \u201clogical\u201d decision, and the fates can still throw a storm your way. This is also true of the opposite: you can choose to drive home drunk and survive, but does that mean you made a good decision? Of course not.
\nWhen you do this, when you falsely believe you made a good or bad decision based on the outcome, Duke (and poker players) call this \u201cresulting,\u201d and it should be avoided like the plague. Rather than simply observing the outcome and saying to yourself, \u201cI made the right\/wrong choice,\u201d instead, be a scientist. Judge yourself based on the efficacy of your decision making. Because remember: the point isn\u2019t to win just this time, it\u2019s to win in the long run. Next time. And next time. And every next time thereafter. This requires a plan, not luck.
\nThe Seattle Seahawks, an American Football team, lost in the decisive moments of the Super Bowl after their coach controversially called a passing play, which resulted in an interception. On the surface, fans screaming, \u201cYou should have just run the ball in,\u201d seemed to be right. Why risk an interception? Well, when you go one step deeper you realize that the odds of a pass play resulting in an interception, and a run resulting in a fumble, were almost exactly the same. The only difference was that if the pass play didn\u2019t work, because the clock would stop, they would get an additional chance to score. So\u2014given that the odds of a turnover were the same\u2014but the odds of a touchdown were much higher given two chances instead of one, did the coach make the wrong decision?
\nIf you were resulting\u2014if you were falsely judging the decision based on the outcome\u2014then you would say that he made the wrong decision. But now you know how to avoid this way of thinking. In fact, even though it cost them the game, the coach\u2019s decision was the right decision.<\/p>\n
REMINDER: The outcome doesn\u2019t matter\u2014only your reasoning for making that decision!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Resulting is when we tie our results to our actions regardless of why we achieved the outcome.\u00a0 Whether is was skill of luck we change our process or reinforce our process because of the results.\u00a0 Annie Duke explains why this is so dangerous. As you become a better decision-maker, it\u2019s important to remember that just …<\/p>\n