20210904_2119 - Architecting a decision making flow. AKA: reducing friction in getting things done in an org. AKA: how to be a 10x team / org(anism) == * Note created: [time=Saturday, 04 September 2021 21:19:38 +0700] * ###### tags `sTREaming` [TOC] ---- ## Aspects of a decision 1. **Scope** - Of the required knowledge / area / remit. Strategic? Operational? - Of impact. What does it affect? Monetary? Change in strategy? - Depth of impact. Severity. How reversible is it? - Breadth of impact. Number of people it affects. Someone's employment? Reorg? 2. **Timeframe**. Of the deadline and the impact. 3. **Frequency**. One time? Recurring? 4. **Nature** of the decision and the system. Which quadrant in Cynefin? `// Severity is then determined by scope and timeframe... how to describe the relationship between impact and frequency? a one-time decision can still have irreversible impact.` --- ## Decision making process Step 1: Identify the Decision (how the above could help) Step 2: Gather relevant information Step 3: Identify the alternatives Step 4: Weigh the evidence Step 5: Take action Step 6: Review your decision --- ## Why We all know these intuitively, implicitly. We escalate the right things to the right people most of the time, then it got reacted or responded to. But the more we can make these explicit, we will be able to be proactive in designing and putting the right policies, and decision making structure in place to get more efficient operations. Less unblocking, less bureaucracy. What success look like: people know what decisions they are empowered to make themselves, when to escalate, who to escalate to, how to escalate, what to expect. RACI clear, DRI clear, process clear. Friction in knowledge work is when there's doubt. Doubt comes from uncertainty and lack of clarity of either how, what, why, when, and who. Friction can show up as / result in procrastination, bureaucracy, latency, slow-moving, things slipping through the crack, indecisiveness, paralysis by consensus, back-and-forths. A large part of this is driven by culture. Structure of incentives and consequences. Permission to experiment & fail. --- ## Stepping back What I was trying to do by designing decision making architecture: - How to roll out, get buy in, get the permission to claim that authority - --- ## Cynefin Simple (Obvious) Domain – Identified by a situation with repeating patterns and consistent events. There is a clear cause-and-effect relationship evident to all and one right answer exists. These are the known knowns and fact-based management is apparent and effective. "Sense – Categorize – Respond". "The Domain of Best Practice" Complicated Domain – This domain is characterized by discoverable cause-and-effect relationships that are not immediately apparent to everyone and more than one right answer is possible. These are the known unknowns. Fact-based management is effective. "Sense – Analyze – Respond.". "The Domain of Experts" Complex Domain – This domain is characterized by no right answers and emergent and instructive patterns. This is a project with flux and unpredictability full of competing ideas and there is a need for creative and innovative approaches. This is the unknown unknowns and pattern-based leadership is most effective. "Probe – Sense – Respond.". "The Domain of Emergence" Chaotic Domain – This domain may feel most familiar after the past year. It is characterized by no clear cause-andeffect relationships so there is no reason to search for the right answer. This is a highly turbulent domain where many decisions need to be made and there is no time to think. These are the unknowables and there is high tension. Pattern-based leadership is essential. "Act – Sense – Respond.". "The Domain of Rapid Response" --- ## References - https://www.economicsdiscussion.net/management/types-of-decision-making/32202 - https://guidingleadersandteams.com/a-decision-making-model-that-works/ - https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/cynefin-framework.htm - https://educationleaves.com/what-is-decision-making-in-management/#Skills_needed_for_Decision-making