Polishes endlessly, can't ship
The strategy document is on version fourteen and still hasn't gone to the board.
Rule out first
No clear standard of 'done' from above. A culture where any flaw is punished. Stakes that really are high.
What could explain it
Perfectionism: Flaws feel intolerable, but they ship when given an explicit definition of done and someone else signs it off.
Obsessive-compulsive personality (OCPD): The method has to be right, not just the result; they won't let anyone else edit it and redo parts that were fine.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): Doubt loops they themselves find absurd: rechecking the same figure, rereading the email ten times, and distress if they can't.
Failure schema: They expect it to be judged a failure, so finishing means the moment of being found out; delay keeps the verdict away.
Social anxiety: The fear is of the audience; it eases noticeably if a trusted person reviews it first or if it goes out under a team name.
A next move
Set a definition of done and a date, and offer to look at it first. Shipping on time means perfectionism or audience fear; still stalling means failure fear; unable to stop checking despite wanting to means OCD.
If it’s you
What do I think people will see when this is out?