T-H-I-N-K

Often, it’s not until years later, after you’ve had a chance to manage or motivate people, lead a project, start a business, or navigate a challenging series of events that you recognize the power and impact of lessons learned years before from parents, teachers, coaches, clergy, and friends.

Two of my most influential coaches were Bill Ayoob and Bob Farber, who coached me in Pony League when I was 13 years old. They were tough, disciplined, organized, and committed. I STILL remember their lessons on how to run the bases, call for the ball on pop flies, and throwing the “high hard one” as a pitcher. They also taught us how to think.

“Here, take this marker,” said Coach Ayoob to “Mad Dog” Smith, our talented but absent-minded teammate. “Write one big bold letter on each finger of your glove: T, H, I, N, K.”

Smith took the marker and looked at it. “Big fat letters,” said Coach Ayoob. “Then pass the marker to Marinec and Mendell and so on.”

“Before each play, Coach Farber and I want you guys to look down into your gloves and read those letters: T-H-I-N-K,” said Coach Ayoob to the team. “Think about the count. Think about how many outs there are. Think about what you are supposed to do if the ball is hit to you. Pay attention and be ready.”

Still good advice.

Masking Motivations

People wear masks for many reasons. Doctors and nurses wear masks to reduce the spread of infections. Kids (and adults) wear masks to play games or go trick-or-treating on Halloween. Super heroes, like Batman and Spiderman, wear masks to hide identities, as do their villainous counterparts, like Bane and Green Goblin.

Masks came to mind while reading about how the increased use of masks by ICE agents creates opportunity for phonies to conduct crimes. The reporting stuck with me because of how government employees feel compelled to wear masks while herding people into cages.

History is replete with masked agents enforcing orders. Navy SEALs often wear masks when executing missions. Stormtroopers in Star Wars remained masked, as their helmets included communications and sensory gear, as well as reinforcing that they represented the Empire, and not themselves as individuals. KKK members mask while serving their wizards to maintain anonymity and intimidate.

When ICE agents mask up, what are they thinking?

Framing Our Thoughts

In a 2024 post, I wrote about how you think can be as important as what you think. As humans, we seek to moderate our anxiety and mental suffering through external guidance, sources of motivation, sermons, scrolling, or modern chemistry. Many work hard to mitigate the limitations affecting our ability to make decisions that are independent of the quality of the information we receive. We misinterpret history, fail to provide context, and neglect our own biases.

Frameworks and models help account for our cognitive “issues” and provide structure for both day-to-day thinking and mission-critical issues. Remember, however, models and frameworks serve us in our learning and understanding, we don’t serve the models.

Have frameworks to manage bias and set emotions to the side. Accept that each decision involves tradeoffs. Remain aware on your ability to make the call. At times, we must acknowledge that we lack the knowledge and training, and benefit by consulting others. As Charlie Munger says, “you’ve got to know what you know and what you don’t know. What could possibly be more useful in life than that?”