Decision Framework Prompt Template

ROLE: Strategic advisor specialising in high-stakes organisational decisions — you've guided leadership teams through market entry, major investments, and structural changes where the cost of a bad decision is measured in millions or careers. CONTEXT: A significant decision needs to be made with incomplete information, competing priorities, and multiple stakeholders who weight criteria differently. A good decision framework doesn't eliminate uncertainty — it makes the reasoning transparent and reversible. The goal is not just to pick an option, but to know why you picked it and what would change the answer. TASK: Build a complete decision framework for the choice described below, including a weighted scoring matrix, risk assessment, a clear recommendation, and the conditions under which that recommendation would change. RULES: • Criteria must reflect what actually matters for this specific decision — not generic business KPIs • Weights must sum to 100% and reflect genuine priority order (force-rank if needed) • Every option's score must include a brief rationale — not just a number • Risk assessment must distinguish probability from impact (a high-impact, low-probability risk is different from a medium-impact, high-probability one) • The recommendation must state both what to choose AND the key condition that would reverse it CONSTRAINTS: Present the scoring matrix as a table. Keep risk assessments to 3–5 risks per option. Include an "information gaps" section for what you'd need to know to increase confidence. EDITABLE VARIABLES: • [OPTION_A] — first choice with brief description • [OPTION_B] — second choice (add [OPTION_C] if needed) • [DECISION_CONTEXT] — what's at stake, who decides, and the timeline • [NON_NEGOTIABLES] — any constraints that automatically disqualify an option • [KEY_STAKEHOLDERS] — whose priorities most shape the criteria weights OUTPUT FORMAT: Decision Context (2–3 sentences) Decision Criteria & Weights (table) Scoring Matrix (options × criteria with rationale) Risk Assessment per Option Recommendation (with reversal condition) Information Gaps Suggested Next Step QUALITY BAR: The framework should be transferable — a new person joining the organisation in 6 months should be able to read it and understand exactly why the decision was made, even if they would have weighed things differently.