Sam Kazran, an executive manager and philanthropic leader based in Jacksonville, Florida, is issuing a public alert about a common but often overlooked risk facing professionals, managers, and business owners: overcomplication leading to decision paralysis. According to Kazran, this trap doesn't look like failure at first. It looks like planning, meetings, research, and waiting for the "right" moment. But over time, it slows progress, increases stress, and quietly erodes trust. "I've seen more projects fail from hesitation than from bad decisions," Kazran said in a recent interview. "People think they need more information. Most of the time, they need more clarity."
Overcomplication has become normalized in modern work culture. Data shows how widespread the issue really is: 67% of workplace initiatives fail due to unclear priorities or slow decision-making according to Harvard Business Review. Employees spend up to 60% of their time seeking clarity on tasks and expectations as reported by McKinsey. Decision fatigue can reduce accuracy by 40–50% after repeated choices according to University of Texas research. Teams with unclear ownership are 3× more likely to miss deadlines per the Project Management Institute. Over 70% of professionals say meetings slow progress rather than accelerate it according to Atlassian. Kazran notes that none of these failures come from a lack of effort. "Most people are working hard," he said. "They're just working inside systems that are too noisy to move."
The most dangerous part of this risk is how reasonable it feels. More meetings feel responsible. More planning feels smart. More tools feel advanced. But Kazran warns that these behaviors often replace action instead of supporting it. "If you can't explain what you're doing and why in one minute, you're probably stuck," he said. "That's when momentum dies." Kazran suggests a simple decision tree approach to combat this paralysis. If projects feel stuck, define the outcome in one sentence and cut any step that doesn't move directly toward that outcome. If decisions feel slow, limit choices to three options and set a decision deadline. If teams feel confused, assign one owner per task and use plain language with one task and one deadline. If stress is high, pause for five minutes and ask what matters most right now, then act on that answer only.
Unchecked overcomplication compounds over time. It drains energy, delays results, and trains people to wait instead of act. Kazran has seen the difference when clarity is restored. "Every time I simplify a system, the pressure drops and the results improve," he said. "People don't need more motivation. They need fewer obstacles." The implications of this warning are significant for organizational efficiency and individual well-being, as decision paralysis affects productivity across industries and can undermine both short-term results and long-term strategic goals.
