Say what?

I'm blogging again, thanks to Russell Lawson who emailed me and said, "Just do it." The following is the first in a series of posts on the topic of analysis -- that much too mysterious process that converts information into intelligence.

Last week, as often happens, I was on an airplane. I was seated next to a nice man, an intelligent man.

Early in the flight during light conversation, he proffered the news that young people are spending too much time looking at computer screens instead of books and that their brains are being rewired in new ways. Studies were proving this to be true, he said.

"Oh," I said, "What do the studies say is happening to their brains?"

"I don't know," he responded, "but it can't be good."

Several hours later, he offered me more information. "I read an article recently that said 80% of Americans did not read a single book last year."

"Wow," I said. "How many Americans used to read one or more books a year?"

He frowned and said, "I don't know."

The above anecdote suggests an autumn meditation for law firm CI practitioners and their clients: What would improve your own firm's decision making -- more information or more analysis?