Stupid Coworkers: Analysis Paralysis

We heard it all before: a major decision to be made and nobody wants to be the one to make it. In humanity's ingenuity, we have (at least offered) a solution for every problem we have encountered. This problem invites our solution: the consultants.

I had this very interesting conversation with a lawyer once about this nifty "decision-making" software that does all the Monte Carlo simulation to tell you how much each decision is worth to you. My lawyer friend concluded that all these software does is to produce great looking graphics to justify decisions already made by management. My reply was a enthusiastic "Wow! That's great! At least they get to a decision right?"

Which brings me to the point. Sometimes we just analyse a problem to death, if we do this and then that, something MIGHT happen. But is that probability of loss worth the opportunity cost of...etc? This is the stuff meetings are made of.

A lawyer went through one of our powerpoint slides to 'sanitise' it for language before presenting to the CTO. It was hilarious, because all the slides need to be changed! There are too many possibilities to capture and in the end we have great slides which gives no definite information but a vague gesticulation of a possibility of this moderately promising project. I watched the PhD researcher droop like dried flower as the lawyer continues to destroy his hard work, its sad but very entertaining.