[gmjoe]

> "If it doesn't hurt, it isn't a strategic decision."

I can't help but feel that's a silly quote. There are plenty of strategic decisions that don't hurt (especially choosing between two future directions, neither of which you have sunk costs in) and plenty of decisions which hurt and so you want to justify them as being strategic... when they might just be bad strategic decisions, or bad tactical decisions.

Honestly the quote sounds like what a bad manager says when they make a decision employees are against, when the employees are actually better-informed.

[bhauer]

I agree the quote is too glib. But the charitable read I have is that a "strategic decision" by definition is a choice between options that each have some pros and cons. If you end up feeling purely happy about a decision, the alternatives you discarded must have had no upsides for you to feel a shred of regret about. The quote doesn't specify the magnitude of "hurt," after all.