I’d love to hear about a study on whether or not it is common sense to have or use common sense.

You see I said hear about rather than read a study.

I would suggest most studies would not be undertaken if common sense was utilized more often. Why would you need a study if common sense can save the day for the majority of problems that can arise during the course of any given work day?

Common sense can lead to common sense solutions for problems that at first glance appear so complex that they may appear to be beyond the grasp of common sense problem-solving. That’s why.

Whenever we start to think a solution is beyond common sense we really should back up and return to the beginning of the problem-solving effort. It’s always good to have checks in place along the way, too, so you can properly guide solutions to fruition. Otherwise you risk your other-than-common sense solution causing an even bigger problem than you originally ignored common sense for (regarding the way to solve the dilemma).

If you think my choice of words here so far has arisen out of confusion and futility you would be mostly correct.

Like many of us, I regularly peruse LinkedIn. An article I found in its “Top News” section, Why you shouldn’t help your coworkers unless they ask particularly resonated with me regarding the amount of comments concerning the piece and also for perhaps the lack of common sense surrounding the new research conducted that helped the author arrive at this pronouncement of a headline.

Basically, the gist of the article concerns the study’s findings that you should not offer assistance to a co-worker unless they ask for it. Offering unsolicited help is considered proactive while offering help that is asked for is considered reactive.

Some of the comments on the pro side of the helper equation are that some people are just natural helpers and like helping when they see a need for it–whether or not the assistance is requested. But the study’s findings suggest someone who offers unsolicited help is not as good for the overall work environment as the helper that only ponies up assistance when asked for.

The best thing a natural-born helper can do evidently is to just do their own job and only assist co-workers when said co-workers reach out to them for help. To assist in an unsolicited capacity is to contribute to a less productive work environment.

If read by someone with common sense in short supply, this last sentence above would have had to have originated as the result of a study finding. After all, who doesn’t want to offer help at any cost (and who cares whether or not it is perceived as obnoxious and unnecessary on the part of the person receiving it)?

When did common sense go out of vogue? Did it just happen and I failed to take notice? I was a little suspicious when self-help and $99 workshops on the benefits of closing your eyes periodically seemingly exploded in popularity on the business scene.

I should have known these precursors to the boon that are research studies signified common sense’s flight to the endangered species list.