What this is
A ten-part worksheet for working through an important decision: defining it, separating facts from opinions, picking who's involved, and communicating the call once it's made.
When to use it
Use it for a decision big enough that getting it wrong would actually cost something, but not big enough to need a formal business case.
Common mistake
Treating a confident opinion in the room as if it were a fact, so the decision ends up resting on whoever argued loudest instead of what's actually known.
How to use this
- Download the Word doc
- Fill in the bracketed sections, section by section, before you commit to a direction
- Use the final section to communicate the decision to the people it affects
A practical framework for making better decisions, communicating them clearly, and learning from the results. Use this when the decision is important enough to require deliberate thought, but not so complicated it needs a formal business case.
Decision
Decision: ____________________
Date: ____________________ · Decision owner: ____________________ · Deadline: ____________________
Date: ____________________ · Decision owner: ____________________ · Deadline: ____________________
1. Define the decision
What decision needs to be made? Clearly state it in one sentence.
Why does this decision matter? What happens if we make no decision or delay?
What does success look like? Identify the 1 to 3 outcomes that matter most.
What are the constraints? Budget: ____________________ · Timeline: ____________________ · People: ____________________ · Customer impact: ____________________
Why does this decision matter? What happens if we make no decision or delay?
What does success look like? Identify the 1 to 3 outcomes that matter most.
What are the constraints? Budget: ____________________ · Timeline: ____________________ · People: ____________________ · Customer impact: ____________________
2. Get the right information
Don't gather information just to gather information, identify what you actually need to know.
What do we know? Facts, data, history, confirmed information.
What do we not know? The important gaps.
What assumptions are we making? List the ones that could materially change the decision.
What information would change my mind?
Who should I talk to? People with relevant expertise, context, or firsthand knowledge.
What do we know? Facts, data, history, confirmed information.
What do we not know? The important gaps.
What assumptions are we making? List the ones that could materially change the decision.
What information would change my mind?
Who should I talk to? People with relevant expertise, context, or firsthand knowledge.
3. Separate facts from opinions
Facts: what do we know to be true?
Opinions: what are people recommending or believing?
Risks: what could go wrong?
Unknowns: what remains uncertain?
Good managers don't treat confidence, opinions, or assumptions as facts.
Opinions: what are people recommending or believing?
Risks: what could go wrong?
Unknowns: what remains uncertain?
Good managers don't treat confidence, opinions, or assumptions as facts.
4. Identify the options
Don't jump to the first reasonable solution. For each option (and for doing nothing), note the benefits, risks, short- and long-term impact, and cost or resources required.
Option 1: ____________________
Option 2: ____________________
Option 3: ____________________
What happens if we do nothing?
Option 1: ____________________
Option 2: ____________________
Option 3: ____________________
What happens if we do nothing?
5. Make the decision
Recommended decision: ____________________
Why this option? Explain the reasoning in a few clear sentences.
What matters most in this decision? Rank the factors that influenced it.
What are we accepting? Every meaningful decision involves tradeoffs, name what you're giving up.
Confidence level: ☐ High ☐ Medium ☐ Low, why?
Why this option? Explain the reasoning in a few clear sentences.
What matters most in this decision? Rank the factors that influenced it.
What are we accepting? Every meaningful decision involves tradeoffs, name what you're giving up.
Confidence level: ☐ High ☐ Medium ☐ Low, why?
6. Decide who needs to be involved
Not every decision needs consensus.
Decision maker: who is ultimately accountable?
Consulted: who has valuable information or expertise?
Informed: who needs to know about the decision?
Who doesn't need to be involved? Avoid decision making by committee.
Decision maker: who is ultimately accountable?
Consulted: who has valuable information or expertise?
Informed: who needs to know about the decision?
Who doesn't need to be involved? Avoid decision making by committee.
7. Turn the decision into action
A decision isn't complete until someone knows what happens next.
What is the first action? What must happen next? What could prevent execution? What needs to be communicated?
What is the first action? What must happen next? What could prevent execution? What needs to be communicated?
8. Communicate the decision
The goal is clarity, not consensus.
Key message: what does everyone need to understand?
Why we made this decision: the reasoning and the facts that mattered.
What changes? What doesn't change? What do we need from the team? How will questions or concerns be handled?
Key message: what does everyone need to understand?
Why we made this decision: the reasoning and the facts that mattered.
What changes? What doesn't change? What do we need from the team? How will questions or concerns be handled?
9. Monitor the decision
Don't constantly second-guess it, define in advance what you'll watch.
Success measures: what tells us it's working?
Warning signs: what would mean we need to reconsider?
Review date: when will we formally evaluate it?
Success measures: what tells us it's working?
Warning signs: what would mean we need to reconsider?
Review date: when will we formally evaluate it?
10. Learn and adjust
What happened? What worked? What didn't? What surprised us? What would we do differently? What should we repeat?
Continue, change, or reverse the decision? ☐ Continue ☐ Adjust ☐ Reverse, why?
Continue, change, or reverse the decision? ☐ Continue ☐ Adjust ☐ Reverse, why?
The manager's decision check
Before finalizing an important decision, ask:
☐ Am I solving the actual problem?
☐ Do I have enough information to make a reasonable decision?
☐ Have I separated facts from opinions?
☐ Have I considered more than one option, including doing nothing?
☐ Am I clear about the tradeoffs?
☐ Have I involved the right people without involving everyone?
☐ Is someone clearly accountable for the decision?
☐ Does everyone who needs to know understand what happens next?
☐ Have I defined what success looks like?
☐ Do I know what would cause me to reconsider it?
☐ Am I solving the actual problem?
☐ Do I have enough information to make a reasonable decision?
☐ Have I separated facts from opinions?
☐ Have I considered more than one option, including doing nothing?
☐ Am I clear about the tradeoffs?
☐ Have I involved the right people without involving everyone?
☐ Is someone clearly accountable for the decision?
☐ Does everyone who needs to know understand what happens next?
☐ Have I defined what success looks like?
☐ Do I know what would cause me to reconsider it?
A good manager doesn't need to make the perfect decision. A good manager makes a thoughtful decision with the information available, takes responsibility for it, communicates it clearly, and adjusts when the facts change.