The Decision Tree
In this video Brad briefly explains a tool we have used with Disney, Nike, Google and others called “The Decision Tree”.
It’s a model for categorizing decisions so that everyone on a team has alignment of over how (and by whom) decisions get made.
There are four levels of the tree.
Leaf Decisions. You want the decision to happen and you don’t need to know about them.
Branch Decisions. You enable someone to make a decision and take action, but you want to be informed afterwards.
Trunk Decisions. This is a big distinction from the category above. This is where you want someone to have a point of view and a suggested course of action, but not DO anything without your awareness and permission.
Root Decisions. These are the most important decisions and you don’t want someone taking any steps without your involvement.
One major insight is that many teams and their leaders don’t have alignment over what decisions are at different levels of the tree.
We sometimes identify an upcoming decision such as “Can we make changes to the website?” or “Can I offer a pricing discount?” or “Can I buy this new piece of equipment?”
We ask the team (and get them to raise their hands with their eyes closed): What type of decision is this? Usually people “vote” for all four parts of the tree!!
That’s a problem.
Many clients have found that using the Decision Tree helps them make better decisions with less ambiguity.
