Speed (1994). When a city bus is rigged with a bomb that will explode if the speed drops below 50 mph, police officer Jack Traven must make quick, high-stakes decisions to keep everyone safe. The plot is driven by the need for constant, rapid action, with little time for perfect planning.
time
quick thinking
The Apprentice. Contestants are thrown into high-pressure business challenges where quick thinking and immediate action are rewarded. Success often depends on making fast decisions, adapting on the fly, and learning from mistakes, rather than waiting for perfect solutions. The show’s format reinforces the idea that speed and resilience are more valuable than perfection.
“Strike while the iron is hot.”
“Strike while the iron is hot.” Take action at the right moment-don’t wait, or you might miss your chance.
People Driven
Americans are skeptical of business processes that attempt to replace human judgment. They believe that decision-making is inherently human. Drawing on personal and professional experience, intuition and judgment, a person or a group of persons makes the decision. Processes have neither experience, nor intuition nor judgment.
Analysis defines the situation, the options, their respective risks and benefits. Experience informs about how the situation could/should be dealt with. And intuition influences the decision.
Decision: A conclusion or resolution reached after consideration; the action or process of deciding something or of resolving a question; a formal judgment; the ability or tendency to make decisions quickly; decisiveness. From Latin decidere “determine”.
Analysis: Detailed examination of the elements or structure of something, typically as a basis for discussion or interpretation; the process of separating something into its constituent elements; the identification and measurement of the chemical constituents of a substance or specimen.
The Louisiana Purchase (1803)
The Louisiana Purchase (1803). President Thomas Jefferson authorized the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France in a remarkably short period, despite constitutional uncertainties and lack of time for full deliberation. The decision to act quickly doubled the size of the United States and is celebrated as a bold, pragmatic move-valuing speed and opportunity over perfect legal clarity.
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny and the Mexican-American War (1846–1848). President James K. Polk’s administration pursued rapid territorial expansion under the banner of “Manifest Destiny.” Polk pressed for quick action in diplomatic and military disputes, favoring decisive moves to secure territory rather than protracted negotiations. This approach led to the swift annexation of vast western lands, reflecting the American preference for speed and adaptability in decision-making.
Decision-Making Process
Germans are process oriented. They think through how a task is best completed. Germans set up work processes which are logical, structured, can be monitored and optimized. Since there is no action without first a decision to act, Germans focus on how decisions are made.
The more complex the decision, the more carefully Germans consider how they make it. Who will be affected by the decision? Who has the final say about the decision? Who has what rights and responsibilities? Germans believe that routine, yet complex, decisions are best made with the help of a decision-making process. And the better the process, the better the decisions made.
The Germans are methodical. In order to maintain Überblick (overview) and Durchblick (throughview) they distinguish carefully between specific steps and their individual requirements within a decision making process. Germans believe that a methodical approach minimizes mistakes.
They also assign a generous time frame to an important decision. In order to move carefully through the process they allow for the repetition of certain steps. Germans believe in moving to the next step in a process only after the preceding step has been completed properly. Patience and thoroughness are critical.
A methodical approach means a well-structured process with sequential action. The clearer the process, the tighter and more logical the sequence of the individual steps, the better coordinated all of the related activities.
Method. Latin methodus, Greek méthodos: The path of analysis, the route to somewhere; a set way to reach insight; a specific way of doing something; the path to a specific goal; based on a plan; well thought through.
German education stresses methodology. University students receive their degrees after demonstrating in a thesis that they have mastered the methodologies current in their field of study. The first part of a thesis goes into great detail about the specific methodology of analysis applied to the subject.
Sequence. Latin sequentia: order of things; to place similar things in line; repetition of a musical motif; shorter pieces of a movie put in a specific order; series of cards in a row.
rapid, imperfect
Apollo 13 (1995). When an oxygen tank explodes on the spacecraft, NASA’s ground team and the astronauts must make a series of rapid, imperfect decisions to bring the crew home safely. The film highlights how quick thinking, adaptability, and the willingness to improvise are valued over waiting for perfect solutions. The mantra “failure is not an option” underscores the urgency and necessity of fast action.
instinctive decision-making
Sully (2016). Based on the real-life Miracle on the Hudson, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger makes a split-second decision to land his disabled plane on the Hudson River. The film shows how immediate, instinctive decision-making can save lives, and that reviewing and correcting decisions can come later.