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Decision Tools · 45

Decision Tools

All 45 decision tools — searchable and filterable, every page open and free.

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Deep dive

AI-Assisted Pre-Mortem

Assume it failed; red-team it with a model; ship a safer plan.

45 of 45 shown
Decision Tool

Hard Choice Model

Determine what kind of decision you're facing — no-brainer, apples-vs-oranges, big, or hard.

Decision Tool

Cynefin Framework

Match your response to the domain: simple, complicated, complex, or chaotic.

Decision Tool

Reversible vs Irreversible Decisions

One-way vs two-way doors — calibrate how much analysis a choice deserves.

Decision Tool

Reframing

Restate the problem from a different angle to be sure you're solving the right one.

Decision Tool

Abstraction Laddering

Move up (why?) or down (how?) to find the right altitude for a problem.

Decision Tool

SWOT Analysis

Map internal strengths/weaknesses against external opportunities/threats.

Decision Tool

5 Whys

Drill into a causal chain by asking why until you hit the root.

Decision Tool

Ishikawa Diagram

Map all potential causes across categories to see the full landscape.

Decision Tool

Iceberg Model

Look beneath events to the patterns, structures, and mental models driving them.

Decision Tool

Pareto Analysis

Find the 20% of causes behind 80% of the impact.

Decision Tool

Issue Trees

Break a problem into mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive sub-problems.

Decision Tool

First Principles Thinking

Strip assumptions and rebuild understanding from fundamental truths.

Decision Tool

Inversion

Ask what guarantees failure, then design to avoid it.

Decision Tool

SCAMPER

Generate variations: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put-to-use, Eliminate, Reverse.

Decision Tool

Zwicky Box

Combine dimensions of a problem in unusual ways to find novel solutions.

Decision Tool

Productive Thinking Model

A structured six-step creative process from problem to action.

Decision Tool

Decision Matrix

Score options across weighted factors to find a clear winner.

Decision Tool

Six Thinking Hats

Examine a decision from six perspectives — facts, feelings, risks, benefits, creativity, process

Decision Tool

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Quantify the economic trade-offs of each option.

Decision Tool

Decision Tree

Map sequential outcomes with probabilities and expected values.

Decision Tool

Scenario Planning

Construct plausible futures and test options across them.

Decision Tool

Pre-Mortem

Assume the decision already failed; work backward to find why.

Decision Tool

Second-Order Thinking

Map the consequences of the consequences.

Decision Tool

Ladder of Inference

Trace reasoning from data to conclusion to catch hidden assumptions.

Decision Tool

Conflict Resolution Diagram

Surface hidden assumptions behind opposing positions to find win-win.

Decision Tool

Eisenhower Matrix

Sort tasks by urgency and importance — do, schedule, delegate, eliminate.

Decision Tool

Impact-Effort Matrix

Sort by return on effort — high-impact/low-effort wins first.

Decision Tool

Confidence Determines Speed vs Quality

Optimise for speed or quality based on confidence in the direction.

Decision Tool

OODA Loop

Observe, Orient, Decide, Act — cycle faster than your environment.

Decision Tool

Regret Minimisation Framework

Project to age 80 and choose what you'd regret least.

Decision Tool

Connection Circles

Map a system's elements and the relationships between them.

Decision Tool

Causal Loop Diagrams

Map cause-and-effect with polarity to show how variables influence each other.

Decision Tool

Reinforcing Feedback Loop

The mechanism behind exponential growth and vicious/virtuous cycles.

Decision Tool

Balancing Feedback Loop

The mechanism that pushes back against change to create stability.

Decision Tool

Stock and Flow Diagrams

Model how things accumulate and change over time.

Decision Tool

Concept Map

Visualise relationships between entities to build shared understanding.

Decision Tool

System Archetypes

Recognise recurring structural patterns like Limits to Growth.

Decision Tool

RACI Matrix

Clarify who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed.

Decision Tool

Delphi Method

Aggregate expert judgment through anonymous iterative rounds.

Decision Tool

Minto Pyramid

Structure communication top-down — answer first, then grouped support.

Decision Tool

Situation-Behaviour-Impact

Give clear feedback: situation, specific behaviour, and its impact.

Decision Tool

STAR Method

Structure narratives — Situation, Task, Action, Result.

Decision Tool

Nonviolent Communication

Express observations, feelings, needs, and requests without triggering defensiveness.

Decision Tool

Active Listening

Reflect, paraphrase, clarify, validate — the receiving side of communication.

Decision Tool

AI-Assisted Pre-Mortem

Assume it failed, red-team it with a model, ship a safer plan.

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