Most decisions don't reward speed, but a few require it — and knowing which is which matters more than how fast you move
1 min read Decision Making
The two decision tracks
You face roughly two kinds of decisions. The first: those where more time yields genuinely better information. Market conditions evolve, candidates reveal themselves through multiple conversations, strategic options clarify as you test assumptions. These decisions reward patience.
The second: those where delay just burns options. A key person signals they're considering other offers. A narrow acquisition window starts closing. A reputational issue begins spreading. Here, the cost of waiting exceeds the value of additional data.
The error isn't moving too fast or too slow. It's spending fast-decision energy on slow-decision problems, and vice versa.
Most executives confuse urgency with importance, or mistake patience for thoroughness when it's really just avoidance. The skill isn't choosing a default speed. It's asking one question clearly: Will this get materially clearer if I wait, or will I just lose leverage?
Identify one decision you've been sitting on. Write down what new information would actually change your choice — be specific. If that information isn't coming, or won't arrive in time to matter, you have your answer.
Section 2 · Reflection
Which decisions are you delaying not because they'll get clearer, but because making them requires you to own a difficult consequence?
Section 3 · The Companion Worksheet
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Section 6 · Journal
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