The advice in the post is to wait as long as you can to make a decision. Sure, you want to make informed decisions and to gather as much information as possible.
Just to argue the point, I’d say it’s often better to make a decision. Any decision. Preferably, one with a low cost of switching. Making a decision allows you to move forward.
There’s the old anecdote about flipping a coin in order to help decide. You usually know if it’s right based on how you feel after flipping the coin and getting your answer.
Waiting is a decision, you can’t NOT make a decision. I’m advocating exactly what you’re saying — take the lowest cost route and wait to see how it pans out.
Hey. I agree. Wait for the most information you can before proceeding.
But I did not read “take the lowest cost route and wait to see how it pans out.” I read “wait as long as you can” and do “not do anything but observe, let whatever situation run its course.”
I’m just suggesting that sometimes it pays to make a decision early and proceed down that path. You may do a little extra work if you made the wrong decision. Or you may get a head start. Either way, you’re actively gathering more information rather than passively waiting for more info to magically appear.
But I’m arguing just for a contrary viewpoint. Of course it makes sense to base your decisions on the most information available. Occasionally, you need to start something. And sometimes, that leads to better information and faster results.
Hahaha, the worst management practice codified as wisdom, nice. (Talking about being averse to making any decision, maybe for fear of it being wrong, but with everyone who is waiting for one and not being in the position to decide bearing all the downsides.)
You’re guaranteed to have more information in the future.
That is true, but this post is framed as though that is the only relevant thing that is going to change if you wait.
If you jump out of an airplane, you will have more information at 10 feet above the ground than you did at 10,000 feet, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to wait until then to open your parachute.
This post hits a nerve for me because I suspect it represents the way many of my bosses have thought. It’s intensely frustrating to be on the receiving end of this endless indecision. As you wait for more information, costs accrue, customers get fed up and churn, competitors ship first, and employees burn out.
You can’t always wait though. Sometimes the need to make a decision is forced, and going back on the decision is costly past a certain point. When you can wait, I agree on letting a decision marinate first.
The advice in the post is to wait as long as you can to make a decision. Sure, you want to make informed decisions and to gather as much information as possible.
Just to argue the point, I’d say it’s often better to make a decision. Any decision. Preferably, one with a low cost of switching. Making a decision allows you to move forward.
There’s the old anecdote about flipping a coin in order to help decide. You usually know if it’s right based on how you feel after flipping the coin and getting your answer.
Waiting is a decision, you can’t NOT make a decision. I’m advocating exactly what you’re saying — take the lowest cost route and wait to see how it pans out.
Hey. I agree. Wait for the most information you can before proceeding.
But I did not read “take the lowest cost route and wait to see how it pans out.” I read “wait as long as you can” and do “not do anything but observe, let whatever situation run its course.”
I’m just suggesting that sometimes it pays to make a decision early and proceed down that path. You may do a little extra work if you made the wrong decision. Or you may get a head start. Either way, you’re actively gathering more information rather than passively waiting for more info to magically appear.
But I’m arguing just for a contrary viewpoint. Of course it makes sense to base your decisions on the most information available. Occasionally, you need to start something. And sometimes, that leads to better information and faster results.
Hahaha, the worst management practice codified as wisdom, nice. (Talking about being averse to making any decision, maybe for fear of it being wrong, but with everyone who is waiting for one and not being in the position to decide bearing all the downsides.)
That is true, but this post is framed as though that is the only relevant thing that is going to change if you wait.
If you jump out of an airplane, you will have more information at 10 feet above the ground than you did at 10,000 feet, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to wait until then to open your parachute.
This post hits a nerve for me because I suspect it represents the way many of my bosses have thought. It’s intensely frustrating to be on the receiving end of this endless indecision. As you wait for more information, costs accrue, customers get fed up and churn, competitors ship first, and employees burn out.
Is it though? Seems clear that it’s not framed that way
Should I make that bold or something?
You can’t always wait though. Sometimes the need to make a decision is forced, and going back on the decision is costly past a certain point. When you can wait, I agree on letting a decision marinate first.