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What type of investment is it going to take in order to reach your goal?
Who else will need to be involved in order to reach your goal?
Are the "players" trustworthy?
What are the potential downsides?
What delays or obstacles should be considered?
If the goal is reached, was it worth the cost?
These are just some of the questions that you should consider when entering into a venture. Jacob lived the consequences of not being prepared with answers to these questions. Jacob went to Paddan Aram to search for a wife. When he entered town, the first woman he saw was Rachel. She was very beautiful and Jacob was instantly smitten. He found out that she was the daughter of his uncle, so she was available for him to marry.
This is where Jacob began to make decisions on his emotions and not his logic. He approached Laban and asked what it would take to have Rachel as his wife. Laban said that Jacob would have to work for him for seven years, and then Rachel would be his.
If the questions above were used as a filter, the first would be, "What type of investment is being asked for?" In this case it is seven years of Jacobs labor. At least Jacob was aware of what was being asked. Second question, "Who is involved?" In this case, Jacob assumed that it was only Laban, Rachel and him. This is a good example of what happens when we make decisions without all of the information. In this case, Rachel's older sister, Leah, was also a player. The third quesiton, "Are the people trustworth?" is the changing point of this series of quesitons. While Laban is Jacob's uncle, Jacob was not familiar with him. He blindly trusted Laban to be willing to be fair and treat him like family. We find out later that Laban is not a trustworthy partner in this agreement. The fourth question is, "What are the downsides?" The easy answer is that Jacob will miss out on seven years of his life and other opportunities. The topic that Jacob did not consider was what would happen if after seven years, he did not get what Rachel as his wife?
That is exactly what happened. At the end of seven years, Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah, instead of Rachel. This leads to the next question, "What delays or obstacles may occur?" Jacob had now given seven years of his life in labor for a prize he still didn't have. Laban agreed to give Rachel to him if he worked an additional seven years in his fields. This is where Jacob had to answer, "Is it worth it?" Jacob decided that in this case it was. He could have walked away with Leah as his wife and continued his life, but he decided that Rachel was worth the additional sacrafice to stick it out.
So many times we make decisions as leaders by taking certain assumptions for granted. In this story, Jacob assumed that his uncle would be a trustworthy partner. He also assumed everything would go as planned. The second area that needs to be addressed is our propensity to make emotional decisions and rationalize away potential issues. Jacob was so smitten by Rachel, that he was willing to jump in, with both feet, without considering the consequences.
Next time you find yourself wanting to make a decison that is based in emotion, try to catch yourself before your decsion is made and run yourself through the above questions. Then, at least you will have tried to apply logic to your decision process.
This is where Jacob began to make decisions on his emotions and not his logic. He approached Laban and asked what it would take to have Rachel as his wife. Laban said that Jacob would have to work for him for seven years, and then Rachel would be his.
If the questions above were used as a filter, the first would be, "What type of investment is being asked for?" In this case it is seven years of Jacobs labor. At least Jacob was aware of what was being asked. Second question, "Who is involved?" In this case, Jacob assumed that it was only Laban, Rachel and him. This is a good example of what happens when we make decisions without all of the information. In this case, Rachel's older sister, Leah, was also a player. The third quesiton, "Are the people trustworth?" is the changing point of this series of quesitons. While Laban is Jacob's uncle, Jacob was not familiar with him. He blindly trusted Laban to be willing to be fair and treat him like family. We find out later that Laban is not a trustworthy partner in this agreement. The fourth question is, "What are the downsides?" The easy answer is that Jacob will miss out on seven years of his life and other opportunities. The topic that Jacob did not consider was what would happen if after seven years, he did not get what Rachel as his wife?
That is exactly what happened. At the end of seven years, Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah, instead of Rachel. This leads to the next question, "What delays or obstacles may occur?" Jacob had now given seven years of his life in labor for a prize he still didn't have. Laban agreed to give Rachel to him if he worked an additional seven years in his fields. This is where Jacob had to answer, "Is it worth it?" Jacob decided that in this case it was. He could have walked away with Leah as his wife and continued his life, but he decided that Rachel was worth the additional sacrafice to stick it out.
So many times we make decisions as leaders by taking certain assumptions for granted. In this story, Jacob assumed that his uncle would be a trustworthy partner. He also assumed everything would go as planned. The second area that needs to be addressed is our propensity to make emotional decisions and rationalize away potential issues. Jacob was so smitten by Rachel, that he was willing to jump in, with both feet, without considering the consequences.
Next time you find yourself wanting to make a decison that is based in emotion, try to catch yourself before your decsion is made and run yourself through the above questions. Then, at least you will have tried to apply logic to your decision process.
