(Analysis Paralysis is an annoying business phrase and is just one of the 212 Most Annoying Business Phrases Managers Effuse, Confuse, and Overuse detailed in the hilarious must-have guide for every workplace: The 30,000-Pound Gorilla in the Room. Available right now on Amazon.)

Analysis Paralysis

Analysis paralysis, unfortunately, is a very real ailment for many managers. Afraid to make a decision, the worst kinds of managers will get buried in the minutia; over-analyzing everything until they’re figuratively paralyzed.

However, that’s not the reason this one made the cut.

We included analysis paralysis in this book because like so many of these annoying phrases, managers who latch onto this one simply won’t ever stop using it.

It seems whenever a decision isn’t made within their timeline, your annoying boss accuses the other party of suffering from analysis paralysis. No facts required; simply analysis paralysis. If only this was the sole annoying use.

Has this ever happened to you? You create a detailed spreadsheet for your manager – something you were sure included only relevant data – and you were quickly diagnosed with analysis paralysis?

Never mind that your analysis was never paused, or that you failed to make a decision. Apparently, your work was just too detailed for your pea-brained manager.

Steve once worked for someone who seemed to never make decisions – that is, he genuinely suffered from analysis paralysis – but, and this is true for most of those who cannot make decisions, he was also the first to accuse others of overthinking everything and avoiding conclusions.

This manager’s favorite annoying phrase? Nope… it was actually herding cats. His second favorite phrase? You guessed it! Analysis paralysis! Ironically doubly-annoying!

Replacement phrases: Overthinking; Overanalyzing; Caught in the minutia

See also: Go Slow to Go Fast; Lost in the Sauce

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The 30,000-Pound Gorilla in the Room is available on Amazon.