I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done. – Lucille Ball

Turns out Jeff Bezos believed the same thing and used regret minimization to make some world-changing decisions.

Way back before Jeff Bezos launched Amazon, he had a simple idea: to sell books online. For him, at the time, it was a risk. A pretty big one. He would need to call in favors and borrow money to make it happen. Why pursue it? It’s simple: He asked himself, “In X years, will I regret not doing this?” 

Regret Minimization made me think about what I hear from my coaching sessions with executives, and what our team members hear immediately following communications programs….”I wish I did this 20 years ago!”

Similarly, when I strike up a conversation with someone on a plane (finally traveling again!) and tell people what we do, nine times out of ten the response is, “I could use that.” To which I respond, “We all can.” But when it comes to communication mastery, many people still think of it as a nice-to-have, I’ll-do-it-someday. Rather than thinking about it as future regret. 

It’s not unlike developing new habits around a healthy lifestyle – eating better, exercising, meditating. That’s why the OrangeTheory instructors yell things like, “You only regret the workouts you don’t do.” They’re not wrong. 

So let us help you answer this question: In 3 years, will I regret not investing in the way I communicate? YES!

So much of your success – at work, home, in your communities – is tied to being a strong communicator. In the last year, we watched leaders navigate the most difficult environment we’ve ever faced. The best ones kept their teams aligned, were transparent and shared their own vulnerabilities, and inspired their people to overcome huge challenges.  

2022 is right around the corner. Get communications on your list of New Year’s resolutions and start now! Happy New Year!