🧭 Decision Making Frameworks
Structured approaches to making better decisions faster.
When to use a framework
- Multiple options with trade-offs
- Multiple stakeholders with different opinions
- High-impact, hard-to-reverse decisions
- Decision fatigue or analysis paralysis
Frameworks
DACI
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Driver | Owns the process, gathers input, drives to decision |
| Approver | Makes the final call (one person only) |
| Contributors | Provide input and expertise |
| Informed | Notified of the decision |
Decision matrix (weighted scoring)
- List options as rows
- List criteria as columns
- Weight each criterion (1-5)
- Score each option per criterion (1-5)
- Multiply and sum — highest score wins
Reversibility test
- Reversible decisions (Type 2) — Decide fast, iterate
- Irreversible decisions (Type 1) — Invest time, gather data, involve stakeholders
Pre-mortem
Before committing: "Imagine this decision failed. Why did it fail?" Surface risks and blind spots before they happen.
Decision record format (ADR)
markdown
## Title
## Status: Proposed / Accepted / Deprecated
## Context: What situation are we in?
## Decision: What did we decide?
## Consequences: What are the trade-offs?Best practices
- Set a decision deadline — avoid indefinite deliberation
- Document the decision AND the reasoning
- Communicate the decision to all affected parties
- Revisit past decisions when context changes significantly