IF you want to be trusted to make balanced, consistent decisions on behalf of large groups of people, you must become aware of the sin gularity effect.
This is the tendency for humans to prioritise the individual needs of the person right in front of them over the collective needs of a large group
of other people.
This effect plays out in the following manner: When a person comes to see you and presents their problem to you, the singularity effect causes you to disproportionately ascribe prior ity, compassion and empathy to the individual person and their specific situation over all other factors or versions.
If you are not cognisant of this effect, it could cause you to take immediate decisions that may seem right at the time but are ultimately inconsistent or unbalanced.
This is dangerous in every context, whether you are a leader or a parent. Fortunately, there are solutions.
Firstly, you should always have a clear understanding of your own principles and standards.
These serve as important boundaries to help your decisions stay consistent with your values.
For instance, if you pre-decide that you do not tolerate lateness, it’s easier to deal with it consistently when different individuals do so.
Secondly, wait until the present situation has passed before responding.
Unless it is an emergency, one should never rush decisions in a specific moment, because you won’t be aware of the singularity effect influencing you.
Thirdly, balance the immediacy of the singularity effect with another viewpoint or perspective.
This means you purposefully test your own decision against principles, policies and even critics.
A good decision is one that remains good in the moment and five years from now.
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