The Decision Cycle
Nine practical steps, in five phases, for working through any decision, from the everyday to the hardest choice you will face. It covers deciding and doing: choosing what to do, carrying it out, and learning from the results.
THINK covers Steps 1 to 4, where you work out what you are deciding, what you know, and what the options are. CHECK is Steps 5 and 6, where the leading option is assessed for risk and for alignment with your values. CHOOSE is Step 7, ACT is Step 8, and GROW is Step 9.
Think
- Frame the Decision
Define the decision clearly - the question, scope, constraints, and stakeholders. - Explore the Evidence
Discover what you know, what you don’t know, and what you’re assuming. - Challenge Your Thinking
Test the frame and your assumptions before committing to a direction. - Weigh the Options
Generate and compare the full range of options available.
Check
- Assess the Risks
Identify and assess the leading option’s risks and the outcomes (positive and negative). - Test Your Values
Check that the decision aligns with your values and principles.
Choose
- Decide and Commit
Make the decision and commit to it - acknowledge trade-offs, close the door, communicate, and establish accountability.
Act
- Do and Deliver
Translate the decision into action - plan, assign, and create conditions for success.
Grow
- Reflect and Learn
Close the loop - review decision quality, capture lessons, and update future thinking.
The Decision Cycle is set out in full in Life: Our Uncertain Experiment, Chapters 14 to 16, with worked examples in Chapters 19 to 22. The questions for each step, and the tools that support them, are free to download.