V. The Resistances to Nuance

This article (5/6) is part of the series Principle of Action No. 1: Cultivating Nuance, from the collection “The Other Path.”

Cultivating nuance isn’t easy: several obstacles, deeply rooted in our organizations and our psychology, stand in its way.

The Tyranny of Urgency

“We don’t have time to nuance things — we need to decide now.”

This is the argument we hear most often, and it’s not without merit. In a world where everything is accelerating, the ability to decide quickly is a competitive advantage. But speed and nuance aren’t incompatible.

Research on emergency response teams (firefighters, emergency doctors, the military) shows that the best professionals don’t necessarily decide faster. They decide better: through repeated practice, they’ve developed mental models that incorporate complexity.

Gary Klein showed this: an experienced fire commander can assess a situation, identify risks, and anticipate how a fire will develop in a matter of seconds. Not because he simplifies, but because he has internalized years of nuance.

So the real question isn’t “Do we have time to nuance things?” It’s rather: “Can we afford NOT to?”

Because simplistic decisions come at a cost, sooner or later, in the form of expensive mistakes and failed strategies.

The Need for Reassurance

Leaders are expected to reassure, project confidence, and show the way. But authentic trust doesn’t come from displayed certainty, it comes from shared clarity and the room we make, or don’t, for vulnerability.

A few months ago, we had the opportunity to present our workshop-conference on the pitfalls of decision-making to the leadership team of a large industrial group going through a major transformation. The CEO, by his own admission, was used to presenting detailed plans, with precise figures, milestones, and a “there is no alternative” mindset.

Following our workshop (designed to shake up certainties and reveal unconscious decision-making biases), he surprised the entire room — including our own team! — by taking the floor again.

I will never forget that moment.

He tossed the three sheets of paper he was holding into the air and said:

“This is the speech I had planned to give you, but after the experience we’ve just had, I’m going to try something else… I’d like to share with you — not my beliefs, and even less my certainties. I’d like to share my doubts. And I’d like us to talk about them together.”

Two hours of discussion followed on dilemmas he hadn’t resolved. For the first time, his team felt authorized to voice their own uncertainties. The dialogue deepened, with everyone contributing enthusiastically.

A leader’s vulnerability, when authentic, doesn’t produce anxiety; it produces trust. Decisions made collectively are likely more solid.

The “Deliverable” Culture

Our organizations are obsessed with deliverables: measurable results, KPIs, outputs.

But nuance isn’t “delivered”. It’s cultivated. It doesn’t necessarily produce sexy PowerPoint slides, and it can’t be reduced to three key figures.

And yet, it’s ultimately what allows us to make better decisions and design more robust strategies. It lets us navigate uncertainty without losing our way. (On this topic, we recommend the books of our friend Philippe Silberzahn, always fascinating on the subject.)

How do you value what can’t be directly measured?

This is one of the great challenges facing our organizations today, and there’s no simple answer (that would be paradoxical, in an article about nuance!).

Still, here are a few pointers:

• Measure indirect effects: better decision quality, fewer strategic errors, greater ability to anticipate crises.

• Value process as much as outcome: how was the decision made? What perspectives were considered? What alternative scenarios were explored?

• Create protected spaces where nuance can be expressed without immediate pressure to produce results.

On this topic, an essential reference in our view: Edmondson, Amy C. (2018). The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth, Wiley.

Note: If the topic of psychological safety intrigues you, we’d be delighted to have you experience our new participatory experience, “Outcome(s).”

Some new clients occasionally ask us about our ability to measure our “impact” on the participants in our interactive presentations and workshops.

What is Paradoxa’s R.O.I. (Return On Investment)? Our answer is always the same:

We can, of course, easily measure participant satisfaction at the end of an engagement. We’re happy to offer this kind of survey to clients who want it. But let’s not pretend: a positive evaluation, however glowing, doesn’t necessarily mean people’s behavior has actually changed.

We can promise a moment that’s both memorable and engaging. We know how to deliver an experience that collectively questions our practices and creates the desire to try new behaviors. That’s our craft, and we stand behind it.

But an R.O.I.? The reality, in a world of nuance, is that many precious things simply can’t be measured.

And we believe the experiences we offer are precious.