Decision-making Templates

Your research findings are useless if they don't drive decisions. After watching countless brilliant insights disappear into the void, I developed 5 practical templates I use to transform research into action: 1. Decision-Driven Journey Map Standard journey maps look nice but often collect dust. My Decision-Driven Journey Map directly connects user pain points to specific product decisions with clear ownership. Key components: - User journey stages with actions - Pain points with severity ratings (1-5) - Required product decisions for each pain - Decision owner assignment - Implementation timeline This structure creates immediate accountability and turns abstract user problems into concrete action items. 2. Stakeholder Belief Audit Workshop Many product decisions happen based on untested assumptions. This workshop template helps you document and systematically test stakeholder beliefs about users. The four-step process: - Document stakeholder beliefs + confidence level - Prioritize which beliefs to test (impact vs. confidence) - Select appropriate testing methods - Create an action plan with owners and timelines When stakeholders participate in this process, they're far more likely to act on the results. 3. Insight-Action Workshop Guide Research without decisions is just expensive trivia. This workshop template provides a structured 90-minute framework to turn insights into product decisions. Workshop flow: - Research recap (15min) - Insight mapping (15min) - Decision matrix (15min) - Action planning (30min) - Wrap-up and commitments (15min) The decision matrix helps prioritize actions based on user value and implementation effort, ensuring resources are allocated effectively. 4. Five-Minute Video Insights Stakeholders rarely read full research reports. These bite-sized video templates drive decisions better than documents by making insights impossible to ignore. Video structure: - 30 sec: Key finding - 3 min: Supporting user clips - 1 min: Implications - 30 sec: Recommended next steps Pro tip: Create a library of these videos organized by product area for easy reference during planning sessions. 5. Progressive Disclosure Testing Protocol Standard usability testing tries to cover too much. This protocol focuses on how users process information over time to reveal deeper UX issues. Testing phases: - First 5-second impression - Initial scanning behavior - First meaningful action - Information discovery pattern - Task completion approach This approach reveals how users actually build mental models of your product, leading to more impactful interface decisions. Stop letting your hard-earned research insights collect dust. I’m dropping the first 3 templates below, & I’d love to hear which decision-making hurdle is currently blocking your research from making an impact! (The data in the templates is just an example, let me know in the comments or message me if you’d like the blank versions).

In our product team, before building a feature, we do a VIBE CHECK. What's a Vibe Check? V.I.B.E. stands for Validation of Ideas Before Execution. It’s a lightweight document to validate problems before investing in building. Takes 15 mins to make a Vibe check. Here's the template: 𝟭. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Who is experiencing pain and what is it? *𝘉𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦.* - - - 𝟮. 𝗘𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 *𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨? 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴, 𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢, 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘨𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴.* - - - 𝟯. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 *𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮.* 𝟯.𝟭. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? [Specific user personas] 𝟯.𝟮. 𝗨𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆: [ ] Daily [ ] Weekly [ ] Monthly [ ] Rarely 𝟯.𝟯. 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀: %?? 𝟰. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺? 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆/𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹: - - - 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: - - - 𝟱. 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀 *𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮? (𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯)* - We believe that [doing X] will result in [outcome Y] for [user Z]. - We'll know we're right when we see [measurable result]. 𝟲. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 *𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵?* [ ] Reduces complexity (simplifies existing workflows/UI) [ ] Neutral impact on complexity [ ] Adds complexity (requires new concepts/workflows) If adding complexity, what makes it worth it? 𝟳. 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 Must pass all three to proceed!!! [] Clear Users & Frequency: We can articulate exactly who will use this and how often [ ] Measurable Outcome: We have identified clear metrics to determine success [ ] Strategic Fit: This directly supports our current product/company goals 𝟴. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 *Based on this brief assessment* [ ] Proceed to full specs (passes all filters, high impact) [ ] Needs more exploration (promising but unclear) [ ] Do not proceed (fails key filters or low impact) And that's how we decide whether to build something.

The Conscious Decision-Making Framework Timeless Wisdom. Backed by Modern Science. (For leaders under pressure) When decisions feel urgent, it’s easy to react. But what if your sharpest decisions didn’t come from speed - …but from conscious clarity? Here’s a 6-step decision framework rooted in timeless wisdom and backed by modern science: 📘 1: The Values Compass "It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are." – Roy Disney → Check value alignment → Consider long-term ripple effects → Evaluate trade-offs 🧪 Value-aligned decisions boost satisfaction and reduce stress. 📘 2: The Future Lens "Begin with the end in mind." – Stephen R. Covey → Visualize a year ahead → Anticipate consequences → Test assumptions 🧪 Future visualization increases follow-through by 3×. 📘 3: The Information Matrix "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance -it’s the illusion of knowledge." – Stephen Hawking → List knowns and unknowns → Identify biases → Seek diverse perspectives 🧪 Diverse teams make better decisions 87% of the time. 📘 4: The Power of Pause "Between stimulus and response, there is a space... In that space is our power to choose." – Viktor Frankl → Take 3 conscious breaths → Name your emotions → Create mental space 🧪 Even a 50-100 ms pause can significantly improve decision accuracy. 📘 5: The Action Bridge "The worst thing you can do is nothing." – Theodore Roosevelt → Make a clear choice → Set a simple action plan → Define review points 🧪 “If - then” plans can double your chances of follow-through. 📘 6: The Wisdom Loop "The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing." – Henry Ford → Document your thinking → Track outcomes → Reflect for growth 🧪 Decision journaling improves future judgment and learning. Conscious decision-making isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present. Save this for your next high-stakes moment. Which of these 6 steps do you most need to lean into right now ? 📚 Explore more concepts in my book - The Conscious Choice ♻️ Repost to rehumanize how we lead. 🔔 Follow Bhavna Toor for more on conscious leadership.

𝐌𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 🧭 Ever found yourself stuck at a career/decision crossroads, paralyzed by indecision? 🤔 Here's my strategic approach to making choices that transform dilemmas into opportunities - The Decision Making Compass "From Confusion to Clarity" 1️⃣ Gain & Loss Ledger Create 2 columns -> Potential Gains vs. Potential Losses * Be brutally honest and comprehensive * Quantify impact wherever possible (financial, career growth, personal development) 2️⃣ Professional Growth Mapping * Visualize each option's trajectory * Ask yourself: "Where does this path lead me in 1, 3, and 5 years?" * Evaluate skill acquisition, network expansion, and learning opportunities 3️⃣ Alignment Check * Does this choice align with your core professional values? * Assess emotional and intellectual satisfaction, not just monetary benefits * Trust your intuition, but back it with rational analysis 4️⃣ Future Proofing 1) Consider long term impact over short-term comfort 2) Embrace choices that challenge you and push boundaries Remember that growth happens outside our comfort zone! "No decision is permanently irreversible. Every choice is a learning experience that shapes your unique professional journey💪" What's your decision making strategy? Share in the comments below! 👇 #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #StrategicThinking #CareerAdvice

You’ve done the due diligence and determined that training isn’t (or isn’t the only) solution to your stakeholders challenge. But now you have stumbled on a new problem. There are so many options that you don’t know where to start. The “Difficulty vs. Impact Decision-Making Model” can help. Take each potential solution in your list and ask: ❓How DIFFICULT will this solution be to create and/or deliver? ❓ How much IMPACT will this solution likely have on the business? Based on your answers, place the solution in the model and it will align to one of the following: 1.      A QUICK WIN: Worth it only if you need to build trust and influence. 2.      NOT WORTH THE WORK: In other words, “the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.” Don’t spend your time here. 3.      PURSUE WITH A PLAN: Worth it, but only with a long-term project plan 4.      SWEET SPOT: Start here! High impact, least amount of work. Once you know where to start and which solutions to pursue you are ready to present your solutions to stakeholders. The article gives more in dept explanation of this process as well as links to other articles in this series on how to determine whether training is the answer. Have you used this model or others? What has worked for you? #performanceimprovement #decisionmaking #learninganddevelopment #strategy #solutions