I told you so

Have you ever been in a situation when you made a decision which turned out to be wrong? And then somebody else makes the smart, somewhat victorious, comment: ‘I told you that this will go wrong.’

Here is the deal. Every decision carries a certain risk and some will turn out to be wrong.  Afterwards, we are all smarter.

Agree with the people around you

- Let’s discuss our decisions together.

- If there is somebody in the team who doesn’t agree with that decision, he/she has the obligation to speak up and convince all that the decision may be wrong.

- If valid arguments are being brought forward, then of course, the decisions will not be made.

- If the arguments are not strong enough to change the decision, then the original decision will stand.

And yes, every decision carries a certain risk. So, if the decision is made and a calculated risk is taken, then be it.

So, if the decision turns out wrong then the ‘I told you so’ is an inappropriate comment. It is too late anyway and, at the time of discussing the decision, the same person just wasn’t convincing enough to change it. (Of course the other option could be that the decision maker is too stubborn, which is another learning point)