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My obsession with information and decision-making began early in life, while growing up in communist Cuba at a time of recurring waves of political repression. I still remember the show trials that landed so many in dreaded political prisons or in front of firing squads. Families needed up to date information to survive in that environment and that meant thoughtfully observing people and events, carefully asking questions and translating what was learned into real-time awareness. And that awareness was often the difference between life and death.
Kids were particularly effective as observers and gatherers of information because we roamed the streets while playing, could get information from our friends without arousing suspicions and were generally ignored by government supporters, including the always dangerous secret police. As a result, we provided our families with up to date information on a wide range of subjects including which families might be changing their allegiance to the government, new arrests, rumors of executions, and the expected delivery of foodstuffs to government stores. Decades later I watched news reports showing our GIs playing soccer with Iraqi kids and wondered how many of them were enjoying the games, while doubling as intelligence agents!
These experiences influenced my thinking as an electrical engineer, and became increasingly central to my work in information systems. Designing databases, software and management systems is often portrayed as a technical exercise designed to collect, store, retrieve and deliver information; it’s not that simple. At its core, these systems influence and sometimes drive decisions by virtue of how they present and report information; they can also control behaviors through workflows that define the sequence of events behind operational functions.
I learned many important lessons from my clients over the years as I helped them automate, manage and control their operations. They taught me not to assume that delivering information would naturally translate into timely decisions, or that credibility depended on the objective value of the data. In time it became clear that information had the power to enlighten, clarify and confound; it could promote thoughtful and thoughtless decisions, or no decision at all. This ran counter to the values of the day as reflected in the technical literature and futuristic shows in which computers were always ready to serve the right combination of facts so leaders could save the day. It was the notion that informed decision-makers would make the best, most rational decision that I came to call The Star Trek Fallacy.
I have observed over the years how our relationship with computers and information has evolved, changed and continues to shift. The Internet, social media, Big Data and social technologies continue to alter the environment in which decision-makers operate, leading teams and organizations in the private and public sectors. What haven’t changed are the challenges and barriers leaders continue to face in effectively using information to make better, wiser, timelier decisions. The same applies to their organizations. This is the focus of my book, this web site and my services, and it’s what drives me to find new distinctions and practical solutions for decision-makers in all venues and aspects of life. I invite those similarly interested to join our premier members and become part of the conversation and the search for more effective, information driven, decision-making strategies
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