By: Sabrina C. Spitznagle, Principal & Founder at Loop Legal Search
Chicago Legal Recruiters — Your Recruiting Connection
Lawyers tend to be very analytical and deliberate, as well as perfectionists. Which of course is often a job requirement – until it results in analysis paralysis: “. . . when overanalyzing or overthinking a situation can cause forward motion or decision-making to become ‘paralyzed’, meaning that no solution or course of action is decided upon.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analysis_paralysis)
Even if you were not hard-wired to be questioning and cautious, no one wants to be wrong or disappointed. There is also currently so much information and so many options available that making a decision–even a simple one–can become overwhelming to anyone. To help avoid being stuck in this muck of indecision, follow these five tips:
1. SET A TIMER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DECISION.
Because doing anything can and will take however long you allow the activity to take, give yourself a strict time limit for making all decisions based on their importance. When deciding how important a decision is, ask yourself: 1) will the choice affect you three to six months from now; 2) how upset will you be if you make the “wrong” choice; and 3) what is the worst thing that can happen no matter what you do. Relatively minor decisions, like what type of notebook, pen, or calendar to get, your outfit for the day, or what to order for lunch, should not slow you down, but they often do. Especially in times of crisis (and this pandemic absolutely feels like a crisis), I often find myself at a complete standstill with these types of small decisions. It helps to remind myself that these decisions are not career choices and should not take more than a minute of my time. It also helps to literally set my timer on my phone and move on as soon as it dings. If I haven’t made up my mind by the ding, I force myself to just make a choice. I also remind myself that when I struggle to make minor decisions, I probably have too much time on my hands because I am allowing myself to waste time on things that don’t really matter. DO NOT SPEND MORE TIME ON ANY DECISION THAN IT IS WORTH. While your time limit will be longer, you still need a strict and reasonable deadline for bigger stakes decisions, like whether to change jobs, what house to buy and where to live, what doctor to go to, or how to advise a client regarding whether or not to settle a case (this deadline may be set for you, but you likely will need to set deadlines for yourself for the smaller decisions that are required to make the final determination). These larger decisions of course will require careful research, analysis, and consideration, but once you have done your due diligence, make your decision and move on.
2. DISCUSS THE ISSUE WITH A FEW KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE WHOSE OPINIONS YOU VALUE AND TRUST.
When making a bigger decision, ask for advice. Talking through an issue (on a limited basis!) almost always helps you reach a sound decision. Because you can talk an issue t
death, however, reach out to no more than two to three people who have expertise regarding the issue at hand and who have different perspectives to share. For example, if you are thinking about moving to the suburbs, it makes sense to talk to someone who moved to the suburbs, someone who decided to stay in the city, and perhaps also a real estate agent. When you are evaluating a case to determine your strategy or debating how to respond to an email from your partner, ask for advice from a colleague you trust and whose opinion you value. Of course, if you are considering changing jobs, you should always talk to an experienced legal recruiter who you trust.
3. ACCEPT THAT NOTHING IS PERFECT, MISTAKES ARE GOOD, AND MOST THINGS ARE FIXABLE.
This mindset truly helps avoid analysis paralysis. Even though lawyers are taught that anything less than perfect is unacceptable, it is critical to remember that no choice can be truly perfect – there are pros and cons to almost every option. The best attorneys I know also realize that just about everything can be fixed – that is often what you are hired to do. So, even if you make a wrong decision or a mistake (which we all do), you can almost always fix it. Ideally, you will learn from the mistake and do better the next time. Even with big decisions, like if you take a job you later regret, you almost always can find another job, and you will have learned something from the experience. You often are better off being decisive than wasting time going back and forth and then losing out on the job, house, or client. Doing nothing is a decision, and that is not necessarily the best course of action. YOUR GOAL SHOULD BE TO MAKE THE BEST CHOICE YOU CAN WITH THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE IN AN AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IS COMMENSURATE WITH THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DECISION.
4. REMIND YOURSELF OF YOUR MAIN OBJECTIVE.
Whenever you make any decision, make sure to identify your (or your client’s) main objective. Then, ask whether your decision is fulfilling that objective (or objectives). Do not lose sight of the big picture as you are evaluating options. In other words, do not become so involved in the details that you forget to look at the situation as a whole.
5. ELIMINATE ANY DECISIONS YOU CAN.
If you often face analysis paralysis with small decisions, eliminate them when you can, or make the decisions when you have a little extra time. I often have a hard time deciding what to eat, so I typically eat the same thing all the time (boring and weird I know!), which serves to eliminate the decision. And, using Instacart eliminates the often excruciating decision of which bananas to buy (I am very picky about my bananas and typically spend way too much time going back and forth over which are the best bunch). If deciding what you are going to wear slows you down, select and set out your outfit before you go to bed.
Hopefully, these tips help you to avoid analysis paralysis; or at least recognize when it is happening. For me, being appropriately decisive is absolutely a work in progress! Do you have any other tips for avoiding analysis paralysis? I would love to hear them!