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DEFINE: DECISION GRID

 

What does it do? 

A Decisions grid is a simple but very effective way of assimilating different, and sometimes opposing, criteria when making decisions.

 

  1. How do you make it?
  2. Generate and capture (a Single bubble and Cluster is again useful) options or alternative courses of action or choices. Park them aside for the moment.
  3. Draw out intersecting horizontal and vertical lines that will serve as axes
  4. Dissect each line into different sections. These will serve as gradients and you need to decide on the number
  5. Decide on the nature, and wording, of the two axes. Very often they are High Payoff/Low Payoff and Difficult to do/Easy to do.
  6. Take each option captured in step 1, and place it in the grid created by the two axes and by considering both in turn. If you adopt the ones mentioned in step 3, you will need to consider both factors: payoff and operational difficulty.

 

When do you use it?

A Decisions grid is useful for:

  • Making decisions about future actions
  • Comparing two items in a holistic way
  • Justifying decision–making among team members
  • Stimulating and framing discussion