URGENT: Public Health Advisory from the Center for Data Decision Hygiene

Image by the author, and AI.

Sven Balnojan PhD May 01, 2025

Warning: This cognitive condition affects teams at all levels. Early detection is critical.

The Decision Fatigue Virus depletes decision quality while maintaining the illusion of progress. What begins as simple tiredness evolves into judgment impairment and eventually decision paralysis — all while the infected believe they’re being thorough.

Primary transmission vectors:

• Dashboard proliferation tools like Tableau and Power BI creating data overload without actionable insights
• McKinsey-style frameworks that promise clarity but deliver analysis paralysis
• Enterprise platforms like Jira and Asana that track activity while obscuring actual progress
• Diffused accountability structures popularized by matrix management consultancies

Early symptoms to monitor:

• Defaulting to past solutions regardless of context
• Creating additional reports to delay decisions
• The phrase “we need more data” appearing in three consecutive meetings
• Team members who can explain problems in exquisite detail but cannot articulate solutions