What Decision-Making Really Is: Overcoming organisational blind spots
Why Critical Choices Fail Under Pressure
Every day, we make thousands of autonomous choices driven by habit and subconscious impulses. But when it comes to the most critical moves for your organisation, biology and pure intuition aren't enough—in fact, they can lead you astray.
Why do difficult decisions feel so heavy?
Information Overload: Our brains are wired to process only a limited amount of information. Too much data becomes sand in the gears, slowing everything down.
Human Biases: We naturally seek confirmation for our existing beliefs. We are often blind to our own blind spots.
The Myth of Neutrality: There is no such thing as a completely neutral decision. A good decision is always personal and aligned with your values—but it must be grounded in reality, not just assumptions.
When decision-making is a competitive advantage
An organisation and its leadership are only as strong as their ability to make and implement decisions. I will work with you to build a culture where information does not get trapped in silos and where wisdom is turned into action without unnecessary delay.
I bring clarity and certainty when the challenge is:
- A spanner in the works: Decision-making is slow or gets bogged down in information overload.
- Wasted tacit knowledge: Experts' expertise isn't translated into decisions – let's harness the wisdom of the whole organisation.
- Recruitment strategy: Choices that strengthen team chemistry and meet future needs, not just immediate requirements.
- Streamlining the decision-making process: Let's create a transparent and systematic way of working that reduces stress and improves performance under pressure.
Why Giants Fall: Blind Spots and a False Sense of Security
1. Kodak: Fear and Group Dynamics
What happened: Kodak developed the first digital camera as early as 1975, but shelved it.
The real reason: The organisation was protecting its existing business (film sales). Decision-making was not based on reality, but on human fear and structural self-preservation.
2. Nokia: Bubbles and filtered information
What happened: Nokia invested heavily in smartphone development, but lost out when the platform changed.
The real reason: The flow of information from engineers in the field to management was cut off. Only embellished information reached senior management, as no one wanted to be the bearer of bad news. The figures looked good on paper, but the company suffered in practice.
3. Blockbuster: The myth of rationality
What happened: Blockbuster had the opportunity to buy Netflix on the cheap, but management laughed off the offer.
The real reason: Excel spreadsheets showed that late fees were their most profitable business. The data reflected historical reality, but blinded management to changes in human behaviour.
4. Theranos: Naivety, gullibility and managing the façade
What happened: Elizabeth Holmes sold a vision of revolutionary blood-testing technology that did not even exist, raising billions in investment.
The real reason: Investors and the board were blinded by a good story and by authority figures. The fear of missing out on the next big thing (FOMO) swept away critical thinking. No one dared to ask pragmatic questions, because the experts around them were already nodding in agreement.
Adaptation vs. Extinction
Kodak, Nokia, and Blockbuster did not fail due to a lack of resources, but rather because of a paralysis in their ability to adapt.
An organisation structures its processes according to the prevailing situation. When the environment changes, the organisation begins to protect its own structures rather than adapting to the real world. The ability to adapt in a timely manner is an organisation's most important biological and strategic trait.
What does this mean for your organisation?
- These aren't just old stories from business school—the same human and structural blind spots persist today in medium-sized and large companies:
- Information gets embellished on its way to the executive team.
- Data is used to justify decisions that have already been made subconsciously.