Running a red light in order to theoretically save a few precious seconds is one of the dumbest, most irrational things people do. Yet we do it all the time, in business and in real life. Hi I’m Holly G. Green, the Architect of Pause, thinking to thrive expert, and author of the new book, Using Your Brain to Win. As human beings, we like to consider ourselves rational creatures. But the faster the world moves, the less rational we get. And the more the world speeds up, the more we shut down our critical thinking processes and simply react in the moment. Running a red light is based on multiple incorrect assumptions. The first, and most illogical, is that getting to our destination a minute or two faster is more important than our own personal safety or the safety of those around us. Another belief – or thought bubble, as I like to call them – might be that if we stop for the light, the car behind will plow into us. And of course there’s the old standby rationalization – I’m in a hurry, everyone else does it, so why shouldn't I? When we pause to think about it, there’s no good reason for running a red light. We know it’s dangerous. We know it’s against the law. Yet we rationalize away the danger, tell ourselves we won’t get caught, and do it anyway. Worst of all, the rationalization happens so quickly we don’t even realize we’re doing it. We simply stop thinking and react. And every time we do it, we train our brains to shortcut the thinking process and react in the moment, no matter how inappropriate our reaction. We run red lights in business by doing the same thing – shutting down our thinking processes and letting unfounded beliefs, assumptions and thought bubbles drive our decisions and actions. As a result, we make critical business decisions based on all the things we assume to be true but never take the time to verify.

1. Running red
lights is stupid
in life & in
business!
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Have you ever
made a dumb
management
decision?
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2. Underlying
assumptions
Getting there faster is worth it…
Someone will hit me if I stop…
Everyone else does it…
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3. Underlying
assumptions at
work
Our competition will never
catch us…
We can’t lower our costs…
The market isn’t ready…
That’s the way our industry
does it…
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4. We are not
logical, rational
creatures!
The faster we try to
go, the less rational
we get
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5. Most of the time
reacting instantly does
not serve us well
because it usually
stems from underlying
assumptions and beliefs
that have no basis in
reality
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6. Every time we just run or respond,
we train our brains to shortcut the
thinking process & react in the
moment, no matter how
inappropriate our reaction
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7. Rather than simply reacting to sped & change, we need to:
Pause – stop at the red light,
visit your brain
Think – check your underlying
thought bubbles while waiting
When you have real data to
support your conclusions,
put the pedal to the metal,
staying within the speed limit, of course
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8. The next time you’re
tempted to run a red
light in your business
or in your car, take a
moment to think
about what’s really
important. The right
decision could be a
lifesaver for you &
your business
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9. Practice pausing & thinking to
stay focused on really winning
versus just going fast.
Contact
Holly@TheHumanFactor.biz if you
want to win in business!

10. Holly G. Green
the architect of pause™
&
thinking to thrive expert
www.TheHumanFactor.biz
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