Analysis Is the Key to Making Good Decisions. By Bill Marriott, Chairman and CEO of Marriott International Saturday, 14th November 2009

I recently read a book about General George Custer, famous for being annihilated in Custer's Last Stand at the Battle of Little Bighorn before the turn of the 19th century.

Custer was a somewhat impetuous, but brilliant, officer.

At the age of 23, he was made a Brigadier General in the United States Army and was an important contributor to the Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg.

He was always anxious to charge forward and get the job done. Many thought he was impetuous. When he and his group of soldiers were all killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, there was much speculation about this tragedy.

Since there were no army survivors, we will never know what really happened. Custer needed to stop and assess the situation and wait for the rest of his army to catch up. Instead, he rushed into battle and he and his troops were massacred.

It's so very important to get things done but it's also important to understand the field of play. In business, information is extremely important, and so is analysis.

I don't believe in analysis by paralysis, but the older I get, the more important I believe analysis is the key to making good decisions. It's important to make decisions, but it's also important not to be too impetuous.

This was certainly reaffirmed to me by the Battle of Little Bighorn and the demise of General Custer and his troops.

I'm Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the move.

Marriott on the Move ~ www.blogs.marriott.com