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HBR: Anxiety and Business Decisions

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Check out the Editors Pick of the Week November 7, 2013 (17:09 -12:15 minutes)

The first article in the Harvard Business Review, HBR podcast is about seeking advice when anxious.  The article discusses how decisions can be influenced if we are anxious before we make a decision.  What I found most interesting is that the psychologist used a technique of watching a video that makes the subject anxious before they have to make a decision on a different subject. What the psychologists understand is that the brain retains the emotional tone even if the context changes.  Most important is that even we don’t feel like we are anxious, even when our brain is actually making slightly different decisions. 

The take-home for this business is when there are important decisions to be made, we should clear the decks and go do something that helps us get into a neutral state, such as playing a round of golf, sleeping on it, or doing another activity in which we have a great deal of confidence.  By getting our brain in a neutral state, our mind is better able to make the decisions we need to make.