How To Make Decisions That Stick

Making good decisions is crucial. They come at us frequently, so having a good process around them is essential.

Whether deciding the right way to develop a product, choosing between suppliers, or charting the course for your company’s future, decision-making is an ever-present force.

Common frameworks like RAPID can be confusing in practice. RAPID, in particular, emphasises people’s roles in decision-making, leading to questions like “Am I the person who agrees, or am I the person who provides input? Can I do both?”

I prefer a framework focusing on the process and the outcome, so I propose a new model: SPADE. While assigning roles remains essential, SPADE optimises the pursuit of the right decision and the journey toward action.

📍 S — Situation

Every decision begins with understanding the situation. In the ‘Situation’ phase, you delve into the why, the context, the options immediately visible, and potential implications. During this exercise, you can decide whether you can make a quick decision or a more thorough process is warranted.

Actionable steps for the ‘Situation’ phase

• Context analysis: Gather all relevant information to understand the situation entirely.
• Evaluate the immediate options: Identify the options available and the consequences associated with each.
• Decision type: Determine whether the decision warrants a quick response or a more in-depth exploration. Is this decision reversible (in which case, act fast) or more permanent (in which case, do more thinking)?

👉🏻 P — Propose

Having a grasp of the situation, it’s time to ‘Propose.’ This phase involves documenting the decision’s objective, suggesting potential solutions, and disclosing your preferred choice.

Actionable steps for the ‘Propose’ phase

• Define objectives: Clearly state what you aim to achieve with this decision.
• Describe impact: Describe why this decision is important, and the impact of making a decision (even if the decision is to do nothing).
• Suggest options: Offer various solutions to address the situation effectively. List out each option’s pros, cons, risks, and opportunities. Help other people understand the impact so they can help with the decision.
• Express your preference: Indicate your preferred choice among the proposed options. Even if you eventually choose another option, it helps to lead with a recommendation.

🧭 A — Align

Now that you’ve made your proposal, seeking alignment with stakeholders is essential. The ‘Align’ phase is about sharing your proposal, gathering feedback, refining your decision, and finessing the pros and cons of each option. You can proceed to the ‘Decide’ phase if there’s a clear winner. If not, focus on the top two or three options.

Actionable steps for the ‘Align’ phase

• Stakeholder collaboration: Share your proposal with all relevant parties and request their input.
• Refinement: Use feedback to refine your proposal and make it even more effective.
• Comparative analysis: Document the advantages and disadvantages of each option to facilitate the decision-making process.
• Understand secondary impacts: Learn how a decision impacts other teams or individuals.

👍🏻 D — Decide

The ‘Decide’ phase’s heart of decision-making involves convening a meeting, discussing, and making the final decision. Revisit earlier stages if you cannot decide or if new information emerges. Ensure the outcome is well-documented, assign responsibilities, and set clear deadlines.

Actionable steps for the ‘Decide’ phase

• Collaborative decision: Gather the relevant parties for discussion and decision-making.
• Outcome documentation: Record the decision and its details, including responsibilities and deadlines.
• Flexibility: Be prepared to revisit the earlier phases if circumstances change or more information becomes available.

⛹🏻‍♀️ E — Execute

You’ve decided, and now it’s time to ‘Execute.’ This phase involves putting the chosen plan into action, monitoring progress, and adapting as necessary. Maintain transparency by updating the decision log, which can serve as a reference for future decisions and foster accountability.

Actionable steps for the ‘Execute’ phase

• Implementation: Execute the chosen plan as efficiently as possible.
• Progress monitoring: Continuously monitor the progress to ensure it aligns with the desired outcome.
• Learn and adapt: Be prepared to adapt your path if you learn something new. If it becomes clear you made the wrong decision, be prepared to pivot. The outcome is more important than the decision.
• Decision log update: Maintain an up-to-date decision log for transparency and future reference.

The SPADE framework simplifies the process of making the right decision. By focusing on Situation, Proposal, Alignment, Decision, and Execution, you’ll streamline your decision-making process, fostering clarity, transparency, and accountability.