Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
Experts in denial - other than those in your organization – tell us that denial is to be expected because of two reasons: the individual’s inability to see magnitude of problem and the social avoidance of confrontation.
Have you said anything like the following to yourself?
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“Even though we missed the last two deadlines, we can get the final deliverable out on time.”
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“He’s not an inadequate performer, he just miscalculates sometimes.”
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“That team is assertive, so we can expect friction with other teams every now and then.”
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“She’s been an exceptional employee so far; these recent problems are out of character and are best ignored.”
If so, you – you! - are a carrier of denial! An enabler. You are avoiding necessary interactions.
Each one of these situations is a valid performance issue that should be dealt with positively and constructively. Suck it up and intervene! Provide feedback! OK, it’s much easier if you have been clear and objective about what is expected in the first place. Then you can discuss performance difficulties as a comparison to the standards, rather than your opinion. If you “let things go” then everyone else will feel better about letting things go. You will allow denial into the project and allow it to infect everyone.
First, work on your own denial. When you practice your way out of it, you will better be able to help others do the same.
Posted on: November 27, 2007 08:25 PM |
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