Data-gathering has become a substitute for thinking.
In a controlled experiment at Columbia Business School, participants given more data points about a simulated hiring decision did not improve their accuracy — they became more confident in their conclusions while accuracy stayed flat. Additional information fed confirmation bias rather than correcting it. They searched for data that supported what they already believed.
The diminishing returns problem
Most decisions reach an information plateau early. After a certain threshold — which varies by decision type but often arrives sooner than people expect — additional data adds noise, not clarity. The problem is that the plateau is invisible from the inside. Gathering more feels productive. It rarely is.
A procurement team I worked with spent six weeks gathering supplier data for a contract decision that had three viable candidates from week two. The extra four weeks produced one additional data point that changed nothing. It did produce a 40-page report that gave everyone cover if the decision went wrong.
The actual question to ask
Before requesting more data, ask what specific piece of information would change your decision. If you cannot name it precisely, you do not need more data — you need a clearer decision framework. Write down the criteria and weightings first. Then see what you already know against them.
Analysis paralysis is not a personality flaw. It is what happens when process replaces judgment.