Slow decisions kill velocity. Most delays come from unclear criteria - people generate evidence hoping it persuades someone, somewhere. Make the logic visible and most decisions move off your plate.
The Template
Decision type: [Name it - e.g., “Feature prioritisation”, “Hiring final-round candidates”, “Pricing exception requests”]
Decision owner: [Who has the call - not a committee]
Criteria (rank by weight):
- [Criterion name] - [What good looks like] - [Weight: e.g., 40%]
- [Criterion name] - [What good looks like] - [Weight: e.g., 30%]
- [Criterion name] - [What good looks like] - [Weight: e.g., 20%]
- [Criterion name] - [What good looks like] - [Weight: e.g., 10%]
Threshold: [Minimum score to proceed, or forced ranking if capacity-constrained]
Override conditions: [When you’d ignore the rubric - make it explicit]
Review cadence: [When you’ll revisit the criteria - quarterly/after 10 decisions/etc.]
Example: Feature Prioritisation
Decision type: Feature requests for next quarter
Decision owner: Product Lead
Criteria:
- Revenue impact - Clear path to new revenue or retention of at-risk revenue - 40%
- Strategic alignment - Moves us toward ICP or away from low-value segments - 30%
- Execution confidence - Team has done similar before; dependencies are controllable - 20%
- Competitive urgency - Customers are choosing competitors because we lack this - 10%
Threshold: Must score 70%+ to make the cut. If capacity-constrained, forced rank and cut below capacity line.
Override conditions:
- Regulatory/compliance requirement (non-negotiable)
- Exec commitment already made (honour it, then fix the process)
Review cadence: Quarterly - after each planning cycle, check if criteria still reflect strategy
How to use this
Pick a recurring decision type. Write down the criteria you actually use - not what sounds good, what actually tips your decision. Weight them. Share the rubric. Let teams self-score before they come to you.
Track overrides. If you’re constantly ignoring the rubric, either fix it or admit you’re deciding on gut.
Proposals will come pre-scored. Debates shift from “convince the boss” to “challenge the criteria”. Most decisions move off your plate.
Related: Hidden Bottleneck ยท Decision Architecture