Roya Bloom

Ever feel paralyzed by too many choices? You’re not alone. The more options we have, the longer it takes to decide. This concept is backed by Hick’s Law, a principle in psychology that explains how decision time increases with the number of choices available.

In business, slow decisions lead to lost time, missed opportunities, and unproductive meetings. Applying Hick’s Law can help streamline decision-making, improve efficiency, and make meetings far more effective.

What Is Hick’s Law?

Hick’s Law, named after psychologists William Edmund Hick and Ray Hyman, states that the time it takes to make a decision increases as the number of choices grows.

In simple terms: More options = slower decisions.

This principle is why menus with too many dishes take longer to order from, why too many apps on your phone make it harder to choose one, and why meetings with endless discussion points feel like they go nowhere.

Why Hick’s Law Matters for Productivity

The modern workplace is filled with decision fatigue. Whether it’s choosing what task to start, what strategy to pursue, or what action items to prioritize, too many options slow us down.

By reducing choices, we make decisions faster and free up mental energy for execution. That’s where Hick’s Law becomes a game-changer—not just for individual productivity but for team collaboration as well.

How to Apply Hick’s Law in Meetings

Meetings often suffer from too many agenda items, too many discussion points, and too many undecided action items. Hick’s Law offers a way to streamline meetings for better results.

1. Reduce Agenda Overload

📌 Keep meetings focused on 3-5 key topics—not 10 or 15. A long agenda forces attendees to split attention, leading to longer discussions and fewer concrete decisions.

2. Present Fewer Choices for Decisions

🔹 If a meeting requires making a decision, narrow down the options beforehand. Instead of presenting 10 possible solutions, bring the top 2 or 3 for discussion.

Example:
Instead of asking, “What should our next marketing campaign look like?” (which can lead to endless brainstorming), present two or three refined options for the team to choose from.

3. Use Pre-Set Decision Frameworks

📊 Limit decision variables by using criteria-based choices. For example:

• Budget-friendly vs. high-investment strategies
• Short-term vs. long-term solutions
• High-risk vs. low-risk approaches

The more structured the decision-making process, the faster the meeting will be.

4. Assign Clear Next Steps

✍ Reduce post-meeting uncertainty by assigning clear, limited action items. Instead of leaving with a vague plan, define:
✅ Who is responsible?
✅ What are the next 1-2 steps?
✅ What’s the deadline?

By keeping action items limited and specific, teams move forward faster.

Hick’s Law: A Simple Shift with Big Results

Applying Hick’s Law in meetings reduces decision fatigue, speeds up discussions, and leads to clearer outcomes. Instead of getting stuck in analysis paralysis, teams can move forward with confidence.

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Ready to Rethink How You Run Meetings?

Explore our full guide:
Optimizing Meetings with 5 Proven Productivity Techniques

From preparation to follow-through, this article walks you through 5 evidence-based techniques to transform how your team collaborates and decides.

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Streamline Your Meetings with Our New Meeting Minutes Template

Want to make your meetings even more organized and actionable? Check out our newly added Meeting Minutes Template in our Etsy shop. Designed to help you capture key decisions, assign tasks, and keep teams aligned, this template is the perfect tool to implement Bezos’ productivity principles.

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