Knowledge Matters™

Yesterday my theme was corporate amnesia - the loss of collective organisational memory resulting from physical and psychological organisational trauma associated with change. Today my theme is the antithesis of corporate amnesia - the inability to move forwards or backwards because of hyper-analysis, which leads to decision paralysis and ultimately learned helplessness .

Hyper-analysis is the propensity to seek detailed data on almost every aspect of something before making a decision. Some people call this analysis paralysis but I don't think this term is correct - it mixes cause with effect. The result of hyper-analysis is often, but not always, decision paralysis. Hyper-analysis has its roots in any or all of the following:

• risk avoidance and fear of failure on any scale;
• a lack of agreed organisational goals, or the presence of conflicting goals;
• absent or unclear or unmeasurable performance indicators;
• the absence of reliable data, or the presence of overwhelming volumes of data in multiple formats;
• employing under-qualified analysts;
• work practices that require constant revision of prior work, or multiple iterations to achieve consensus;
• a preoccupation with process rather than outcomes;
• constant and regular changes of senior staff, each of whom bring their own philosophies, which are often subtly (or substantially) different to their predecessors; 
• a belief that consultants can provide "silver-bullet" answers (How often do you pay for the senior consultant but the junior under-qualified analyst does most of the work?); and
• a propensity to the big bang approach to change, where it is believed if all the data is collected and analysed a revolution can occur rather than an evolution.

Decision paralysis is the result of hyper-analysis, although equally it could be the result of hypo-analysis! The signs of decision paralysis are endless proposals, reports, and meetings that rarely go beyond the words or the talk: where activity is equated with achievement. Learned helplessness is the worst sign. Learned helplessness occurs when an organisation has become so paralysed by indecision that problems are attributed to the system or factors outside the control of the organisation.

So how do we combat hyper-analysis, decision paralysis, and learned helplessness? Well firstly I suggest actions always speak louder than words. Secondly small incremental steps that cause the organisation to learn and evolve are preferable in most circumstances to a revolution. Thirdly keep people informed and set realistic tangible goals.

Data will always be important to an organisation. Equally the results of data analysis are important to inform options for action. But what really matters is a decision or decisions that result in action. Hope simply is not a method!

Regards Graham