PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

Get better at decision-making, by following this one trend.

Excellent decision-making technique to adapt quicker to upcoming challenges.

5 min readFeb 13, 2023

A person writing down which decisions were recently taken and why — Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

Product & Leadership Playbook

Play 10/196 — Decision Logs

It’s a common scenario: you’re faced with a difficult decision and spend hours or even multiple days evaluating your options. When it comes to hiring your product team, I have written this article just recently, to increase your opportunities. Usually, after some good thinking, when you finally make a choice and feel confident in your decision, your satisfaction level increases. But a few months or even weeks later, you can’t seem to remember why you made that choice or what your thought process was at the time. This phenomenon is called “decision fatigue,” and it’s a major back draw to making effective decisions. Not only does it make it difficult to reflect on past decisions and learn from them, but it can also lead to inconsistencies and second-guessing, especially when in debate with others.

Making the right decision can often mean the difference between success and failure, yet the process of decision-making can be overwhelming, especially when faced with complex problems and conflicting options. One of the tools which helped me to go through difficult times in the past is a decision log. A decision log is a simple yet effective tool for tracking, organizing, and evaluating decisions made over time. It allows you to keep a clear and organized record of the reasons behind your choices, enabling you to make better decisions in the future. This tool is very short and tidy, especially when used over a long period of time, it becomes one of the most powerful tools, I have ever used. Let's see how it can help you become a better decision-maker. So if you’re ready to take your decision-making skills to the next level, keep reading!

“The future depends on what you do today.” — Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi’s words are always reminding me that the decisions we make today will have a significant impact on our future. There is something really catchy about the importance of making thoughtful and informed decisions, particularly big and consequential ones. Whether it’s a personal or professional decision, taking the time to consider all your options and make a well-informed choice is essential to shaping the future you want.

A decision log is an effective tool for tracking and evaluating your decisions, and it typically includes the following components:

Date: Recording the date of the decision allows you to track the timeline of your choices and see how they’ve impacted your product or team over time.
Problem or Opportunity: Defining the problem or opportunity that led to the decision helps you stay focused on the goal and evaluate whether your choice was the right one.
Alternatives Considered: Writing down the alternatives you considered helps you see the range of options you had and how each one would have impacted your life.
Decision Made: Recording the decision you made provides a clear record of your choice, making it easier to evaluate in the future.
Reasons for Decision: Writing down the reasons behind your decision helps you reflect on why you chose a particular option and understand your thought process at the time.
Outcome: Tracking the outcome of the decision allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of your choice and determine whether you made the right decision.

By including these essentials in your decision log, you can effectively track your choices, reflect on your decision-making process, and make better decisions in the future. I am quite often using the logs not only for myself but for the rest of the team. The importance of knowing what decisions members of the product team are making is quite remarkable and helps us to support each other at all levels. A common exercise is to review past decisions and outcomes together, so we can identify patterns and make changes to our process as needed, leading to more informed and effective choices.

In conclusion, decision logs are a powerful tool for improving your decision-making skills. By tracking and reflecting on your decisions, you can learn from experiences and make better choices in the future. Whether you’re facing a personal or professional decision, taking the time to consider your options and document your thought process can help you make informed confident choices.

So why wait? Start creating your decision log today and see the difference it can make in your life. With each recorded decision, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your thought process, become a more effective decision-maker, and be better equipped to navigate the challenges and opportunities that come your way.

About the author:

Hi, I’m Lehel. I became a product manager to fuel my curiosity in technology and business management by creating digital products. My journey allowed me to dive deep into product design, user experience, business administration, and learning multiple programming languages. I have been fortunate to lead programs for successful Startups and Fortune 500 companies whereas a leader, my focus is on establishing a great product culture to help people strive by following servant leadership and radical candor principles. In my free time, I write about product management & leadership topics to document the learnings of my past 15 years in the field.

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You can find me at lehelkakonyi.com as well.