Pivotting with new information

Well, some people tell me “that’s it Kay, I’ve made up my mind and there’s no changing it” which always makes an alarm bell go off for me.

Now I’m not suggesting it’s best to be flip/flopping with a decision you’ve made – no, that’s exhausting and annoying for all involved, not least of all you.

What I am putting to you is that when new information or a new insight is available to you, to check in with the decision you’ve made and – if you can and want to – pivot.

Or, as it can sometimes feel, pirouette!

Don’t be too fixed just because you’ve said one thing, new information may make it make sense to change your mind…

How do I know this?

Well, back in June this year, Snowy and I were waiting in a long, boring and disorganised queue at Heathrow Airport.

We were off to Crete to celebrate my upcoming birthday with my sister.

As we queued and sighed, we discussed our upcoming plan (deposit already paid) for a break to Sorrento in Italy in the August ie last month!

Looking at each other we agreed “let’s cancel our August trip and stay at home“.

Weird. For us both to feel the same. No negotiation just an about-turn. With this new information and sentiment.

Feeling the whole airport experience (no matter where you’re flying to or where on the plane you’re sitting) is a bit of a bun fight we decided to take ourselves out of it.

So, instead, we cancelled our holiday whilst waiting for our baggage on the carousel in Crete!

Last week would have been the trip and we had a lovely old time being based in London for a few days, going out to Oxford to see friends and then staying at home having dinners out and friends over. 11 days with virtually no packing and we loved it.

When you consider a pivot you’ve made with new information or one you might make because of how you’re feeling right now, these are useful questions to ask yourself Amanda:

What’s driving me to change my mind?
Who else is affected and how will I tell them of my decision?
What’s the potential cost AND what’s the benefit of this pivot?

It’s always good to model this kind of decision making for others both at home and at work and to be open to new information as it presents itself…

A final word on the matter…

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“Occasions when you can change your mind should be cherished, because they mean you’re smarter than you were before. ” ~ Malcolm Gladwell, Canadian Author and Journalist

And in other news…

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A dinner at The Ritz in London was a special holiday treat AND with Crepe Suzette on the menu, we managed to keep our eyebrows in tact!