A Helping Hand vs Risk

 

A Helping Hand vs. Risk
          You have probably heard me say, “All decisions originate in the heart and are only rationalized in the head.” We use several colourful stories to illustrate that quote in our presentation to persuade advertisers about the emotional pulling power of broadcast advertising in their media mix.
          But the heart and the head are often at odds with each other. I recently made a heartfelt decision to hire a person, to give them a helping hand and a second chance.
          I had known them to be successful in their past, but I was also acutely aware that since that initial success they had made some poor choices that impacted their career negatively.
          But as we told advertisers in one of our recent SoundADvice marketing tips, “Emotions often trump logic,”  the mind does find ways to rationalize a need’ in what our heart wants us to do.
          I justified hiring this person, in part, because I do believe in helping others and giving people a second chance. But I also rationalized it because in the past, the loyalty and effort I have received in return for my humanitarian actions has often come back to me in spades. So I told my heart, and my business partner Angela, my decision was ‘logical.’
          In one recent case, the decision I made from the heart and rationalized from my head was very disagreeable with the standard practices I uphold within my company.  It was a huge mistake that cost me financially and perhaps tainted my reputation as an astute business consultant.
          Will I ever take another risk?
          Probably.
          I’m not ready to give up on helping people when I can, although I’ll certainly be more judicious in my rationalization process in the future.
          This experience certainly validates what we’ve been telling advertisers, “The heart really is more powerful than the head.”