Slow Deciders Make Better Strategists

It's not easy to split people into the good/bad strategy decision-makers.

• Track records are useful to some extend. Those with business degrees seem to be good signs, but they may differ on what works. Veterans look promising, but so do outsiders with new ideas.
• There's a difference between someone confident after laboring over a thoughtful decision and one who's convinced after a quick judgment. There's a difference between someone unsure after serious thought and someone who's uncertain after a quick view.

Imagine recording decision-makers' solutions to a competitive-strategy problem using four categories:

1. Now-I-know
2. I-already-know
3. I-don't-know
4. I-guessed

The Now-I-know and the I-already-know are very confident while I-do don't-know and the I-guessed are unsure. The Now-I-know and the I-don't-know are slow in making a strategy-decision while the I-already-know and the I-guessed are fast at making a decision.