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Winter 2005

The Three Questions

Whenever my work in Egypt comes up in conversation, the following three questions are inevitably asked:

1. Aren't you afraid?
2. What's it like as a woman working there?
3. Can I carry your bags next trip?

The first and most frequently asked question is most intriguing because it is a question deeply reflecting the questioner's perceptions. The question implies that I ought to be afraid because the questioner is fearful of traveling to "the Middle East."

Several perception principles are at work in this question. First, the first principle at work is that a perception applies universally. The perception is that "the Middle East" is a very dangerous place. It is true that specific areas of the Middle East are dangerous; it does not follow that all areas of the Middle East are dangerous.

During the last several years, "the economy is slow" was the general perception however that perception might have been a limiting assumption for businesses in sectors where the economy was just fine. How many sales people used "the economy is slow" to justify lackluster sales when in their economic sector things were fine? One step in resolving business challenges is to note general perceptions and then to tease out the specifics within the generality. The specifics can then be checked for accuracy. "Which sectors are slow?" "To what degree are they slow?" "Which sectors are growing?" "How much are they growing?" "What are the opportunities we're leaving on the table?"

The second perceptual principle at work is that people resist data that contradicts their perception. When I reply, "No, I'm not afraid, on the contrary, I love Egypt; it's a second home" the looks and verbal responses give a hint of rejection, defensiveness, the implication that my experience of safety is completely unique or that I am somehow a uniquely courageous human-which is certainly not my self-perception.

Business leaders can expect the same resistance when they introduce data specifics that contradict generalities. It may take a great deal of specific data to change people's opinions. It is well documented that human adults seek information that confirms already held beliefs and reject information that contradicts those beliefs.

My three questions to you are:

1. What are your business fears?
2. What facts are those fears based on?
3. Based on the facts, do you need to be afraid?