--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Good and solid analysis and a formal way…" description: "\"Good and solid analysis and a formal way of looking at a problem [are the core ingredients of good decisions].\" — Colin Powell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b1/colin-powell-691_analysis_good-and-solid-analysis-and-a-formal-way_2041573.jpg" --- # Good and solid analysis and a formal way of looking at a… ![“Good and solid analysis and a formal way of looking at a problem [are the core ingredients of good decisions].” quote by Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b1/colin-powell-691_analysis_good-and-solid-analysis-and-a-formal-way_2041573.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b1/colin-powell-691_analysis_good-and-solid-analysis-and-a-formal-way_2041573.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b1/colin-powell-691_analysis_good-and-solid-analysis-and-a-formal-way_2041573.jpg) > “Good and solid analysis and a formal way of looking at a problem \[are the core ingredients of good decisions\].” [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Thorough analysis and systematic problem framing are essential foundations for sound decision‑making. **In simple terms:** Analysis and structure lead to good decisions. Key Takeaway Apply structured thinking. Themes decision making analysis problem solving Mood analytical practical Type instructional inspirational When to use this quote - business strategy - policy planning - personal choices Key Concepts critical thinking methodology Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance analysis with intuition? - When is a formal approach unnecessary? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can delay action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Analysis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analysis/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions/) [Good decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-decision/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) ## Related quotes > [Everybody makes bad decisions. I am sure I have made my share of them over 40 years of service. Or I have made good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/everybody-makes-bad-decisions-i-am-sure-i-have-made-my-share-of-them/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Life is full of chances -- and those times when we each trust our own guts and have a terrific outcome reaffirms our ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-laurie/life-is-full-of-chances-and-those-times-when-we-each-trust-our-own/) [Victoria Laurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-laurie/) > [When you're feeling lost, take heart. It's just your brain gathering the information it needs to make good decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-kaufman/when-you-re-feeling-lost-take-heart-it-s-just-your-brain-gathering/) [Josh Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-kaufman/) > [Human beings have survived for millennia because most of us make good decisions about our health most of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-weil/human-beings-have-survived-for-millennia-because-most-of-us-make-good/) [Andrew Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-weil/) > [Good decisions can have bad short-term outcomes but be great for the business long-term.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-schwartz/good-decisions-can-have-bad-short-term-outcomes-but-be-great-for-the/) [Gerry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-schwartz/) > [I try to make good decisions as decisions come up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-kutcher/i-try-to-make-good-decisions-as-decisions-come-up/) [Ashton Kutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-kutcher/) > [You're not going to be able to make good decisions without building some relationship of trust between yourself and community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-re-not-going-to-be-able-to-make-good-decisions-without-building/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today make GOOD DECISIONS. Decide to selflessly serve others, to control your thoughts, to eat water-rich foods and to get lots of exercise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradford-winters/today-make-good-decisions-decide-to-selflessly-serve-others-to/) [Bradford Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradford-winters/) > [She squinted up at him. "But I haven't always made good decisions." Pastor Harris smiled. "All that shows is that you're human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/she-squinted-up-at-him-but-i-haven-t-always-made-good-decisions/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [You can't be 100% perfect, but try to evaluate things and do what's right. If you just make every effort to do the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/you-can-t-be-100-perfect-but-try-to-evaluate-things-and-do-what-s/) [Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/) > [Life is simple. Make good decisions and good things happen. Make bad decisions and bad things happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-vitale/life-is-simple-make-good-decisions-and-good-things-happen-make-bad/) [Dick Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-vitale/) > [Good decisions don't make life easy, but they do make it easier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/good-decisions-don-t-make-life-easy-but-they-do-make-it-easier/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > [I have faith in the United States and our ability to make good decisions based on the facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/i-have-faith-in-the-united-states-and-our-ability-to-make-good/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [Everyone wants to make good decisions. But how do you know when you are being guided by the Eck (Holy Spirit) or the mind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-klemp/everyone-wants-to-make-good-decisions-but-how-do-you-know-when-you/) [Harold Klemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-klemp/) > [Being a father and trying to love my daughters with unconditional love - those were all good decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/being-a-father-and-trying-to-love-my-daughters-with-unconditional/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## More by Colin Powell > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Effective leaders are made, not born. They learn from trial and error, and from experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/effective-leaders-are-made-not-born-they-learn-from-trial-and-error/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Decision-making is lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/decision-making-is-lonely/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The purposes of the United States should not be doubted. The Security Council resolutions will be enforced - the just demands of peace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-purposes-of-the-united-states-should-not-be-doubted-the-security/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [I always like to take my time and examine the two candidates, see not only the two candidates but the policies they will bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/i-always-like-to-take-my-time-and-examine-the-two-candidates-see-not/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [We can seldom get our children to do what we tell them, but they almost never fail to imitate us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-can-seldom-get-our-children-to-do-what-we-tell-them-but-they/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [With respect to where we are now, we have a voluntary army. And if we ever go back to conscription I hope that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/with-respect-to-where-we-are-now-we-have-a-voluntary-army-and-if-we/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Politics is not bean bags. It's serious, tough stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/politics-is-not-bean-bags-it-s-serious-tough-stuff/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [There are no secrets to success: don't waste time looking for them, success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/there-are-no-secrets-to-success-don-t-waste-time-looking-for-them/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [So like any football or basketball coach, you always always believe you're going to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/so-like-any-football-or-basketball-coach-you-always-always-believe/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [We hope that more assistance will be available to the nations of the region, to include Egypt, on the three pillars that I discussed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-hope-that-more-assistance-will-be-available-to-the-nations-of-the/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [One of the most worrisome things that emerges from the thick intelligence file we have on Iraq's biological weapons is the existence of mobile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/one-of-the-most-worrisome-things-that-emerges-from-the-thick/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Pissing people off doesn't mean you're doing the right things, but doing the right things will almost inevitably piss people off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-doing-the-right-things-but/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-less-you-associate-with-some-people-the-more-your-life-will/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Be careful what you choose: You may get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/be-careful-what-you-choose-you-may-get-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) [Explore all 408 Colin Powell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) ## More Analysis quotes > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/my-mind-rebels-at-stagnation-give-me-problems-give-me-work-give-me/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [Combining the experience of a seasoned university president with the analysis of a respected legal scholar, Derek Bok explores what he concludes are 'signs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-h-t-rhodes/combining-the-experience-of-a-seasoned-university-president-with-the/) Frank H. T. Rhodes > [International friendly games are not worth the lives of the silk worms who perish to make the pennants. They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) > [Demographically, I'm a hippie from San Francisco and I'm not culturally inclined to be sympathetic to states' rights. My cultural heritage is FDR and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/demographically-i-m-a-hippie-from-san-francisco-and-i-m-not/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [Democracy is not being well served as we're accustomed to. There is less information, there's less investigation, there's less analysis, there's less accountability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-greenspon/democracy-is-not-being-well-served-as-we-re-accustomed-to-there-is/) Edward Greenspon > [As long as the human race is able to concern itself with more than mere survival, soccer will have its place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-morris/as-long-as-the-human-race-is-able-to-concern-itself-with-more-than/) [Desmond Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-morris/) > [The capitalistic social order, therefore, is an economic democracy in the strictest sense of the word. In the last analysis, all decisions are dependent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-capitalistic-social-order-therefore-is-an-economic-democracy-in/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“You will do one of two things as soon as you’ve exhausted what you can determine mathematically in the case: (1) Refine your hypothesis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cheng/you-will-do-one-of-two-things-as-soon-as-you-ve-exhausted-what-you/) [Victor Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cheng/) > [Atheism Explained is a gem. It is clear, informative, well-argued, provocative, often witty, and unfailingly interesting. David Ramsay Steele ranges over so many issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-shearmur/atheism-explained-is-a-gem-it-is-clear-informative-well-argued/) Jeremy Shearmur > [Class is entirely intangible, and the way it affects things isn't subject to scientific analysis, and it's not supposed to be real but it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-walton/class-is-entirely-intangible-and-the-way-it-affects-things-isn-t/) [Jo Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-walton/) > [I've always made my decisions based on two factors: intellectual analysis and my gut. And when they meet, that's a go from me. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/i-ve-always-made-my-decisions-based-on-two-factors-intellectual/) [Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/) > [Analysis of opponents is something I like doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millie-bright/analysis-of-opponents-is-something-i-like-doing/) [Millie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millie-bright/) > [What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/what-matters-supremely-therefore-is-not-in-the-last-analysis-the-fact/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [We are well aware that he spent many hours recently tape recording various messages... we need to do a little more analysis of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-hoon/we-are-well-aware-that-he-spent-many-hours-recently-tape-recording/) [Geoff Hoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-hoon/) [Browse all 1,547 Analysis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analysis/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Good and solid analysis and a formal way of looking at a problem [are the core ingredients of good decisions].", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Colin Powell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/good-and-solid-analysis-and-a-formal-way-of-looking-at-a-problem-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Analysis" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/good-and-solid-analysis-and-a-formal-way-of-looking-at-a-problem-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b1/colin-powell-691_analysis_good-and-solid-analysis-and-a-formal-way_2041573.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b1/colin-powell-691_analysis_good-and-solid-analysis-and-a-formal-way_2041573.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b1/colin-powell-691_analysis_good-and-solid-analysis-and-a-formal-way_2041573.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Good and solid analysis and a formal way of looking at a problem [are the core ingredients of good decisions].” — Colin Powell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Colin Powell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Good and solid analysis and a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/good-and-solid-analysis-and-a-formal-way-of-looking-at-a-problem-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/good-and-solid-analysis-and-a-formal-way-of-looking-at-a-problem-are/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```