Reversible and Irreversible Decisions
There are two types of decisions. There are decisions that are irreversible and highly consequential; we call them one-way doors, or Type 2 decisions. They need to be made slowly and carefully. I often find myself at Amazon acting as the chief slowdown officer: “Whoa, I want to see that decision analyzed seventeen more ways because it’s highly cons... See more
Jeff Bezos • Invent and Wander: The Collected Writings of Jeff Bezos, With an Introduction by Walter Isaacson
there’s a benefit to making decisions quickly; speed can compensate, somewhat, for misdirection. But there’s being decisive, and then there’s being allergic to course correction. People often mistake this for being principled … it’s not. Your decisions are a guide and an action plan, not a suicide pact.
Scott Galloway • The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula for Success
Yet in organizational life, particularly in times of stress or crisis, pressure mounts to take quick action. That pressure plays into many people’s strengths. You may have been there before. You know how to rise to the occasion. Even if you do not have the foggiest idea of what to do, you have a strong incentive to give in to others’ demands that y
... See moreRonald A. Heifetz • The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World
It is for this reason that committees are discouraged on the battlefield. A commander may be proved wrong. He may be proved right. But prompt decisions and orders, right or wrong, are far healthier than endless debate and prevarication. This applies equally to a debate within one’s own mind. Fretting is counter-productive at any level.