We are sometimes our own worst enemies, the obstacles to our own success. We self-sabotage without even realizing it when we think we’re just being thorough. In the process of decision-making, be it in life or business, we can fall victim to something called analysis paralysis.
What is that? You can think of analysis paralysis as the process of overanalyzing a problem to the point that you’re unable to come to a decision in a reasonable timeframe. The main culprit for this is the misplaced desire to completely understand every possible choice so as to make the best choice. More data seems like a boon, not a disadvantage, so the desire to know as much as possible seems prudent.
Cut Through the Noise
But too much data can be noise. In other words, when you delve too deep, you often uncover more and more distractions that will only serve to further complicate what might already be a complex problem.
Instead of making a decision and moving on, you mire yourself in this one issue to the detriment of your other concerns. Oftentimes the best solution isn’t going to be perfect. We have to accept that and move on to the next task.
As the saying goes, “think long, think wrong.”
Avoid the Fear of Failure
Another common reason for why people get stuck in a merry-go-round of indecision is fear. Specifically, we’re afraid to commit to a decision because we’re afraid of the consequences of being wrong. We can’t get the intrusive thoughts of a worse-case scenario out of our heads.
No one likes failing, naturally. But by hesitating past the point of reason, even a good choice becomes a bad one. If we want to overcome irrational fear, we need to be honest with ourselves about what really matters. Will your handwringing matter in the weeks, months, or years to come? How much worse will things get if you keep delaying?
Seek Other Viewpoints
If you’re faced with a decision with long-lasting consequences, then you should of course be thoughtful. But don’t restrict your decision-making to a lonely vacuum. Involve others, be they your employees, your customers, or even your industry peers with whom you have trust.
Myopia is the gravest threat to decision-making. This is when you get so stuck on the details of something, you struggle to appreciate the bigger picture. Putting everything in larger context will usually make your decisions a million times easier by letting you get out of your own head, as it were.
Another way to get an outside perspective is with a mystery shopping company. In addition to the benefits of self-scouting, mystery shops can provide you with a greater sense of what’s going on in your industry, especially if you make use of competitive mystery shopping.
What is that? Competitive mystery shopping is when you get feedback about your own company, as well as a competitor’s. This feedback comes from the same evaluator, using the same criteria. You can even evaluate multiple competitors to get a much larger view of the greater competitive landscape.
Want more context, but not a bunch of noise? At The Brandt Group, we’ve spent the last 30+ years honing our services to evaluate and improve the customer experience, to equip managers with the tools they need to train their staff. The feedback our mystery shoppers give, curated to focus on what your business actually needs to make timely, well-informed decisions, will give you the confidence to avoid the pitfalls of analysis paralysis.
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