decision-brief

name	decision-brief
description	Help users prepare and deliver decision briefings using the SOCRR framework. Use when someone needs a decision from a manager, executive, sponsor, or stakeholder group.

Decision Briefing (SOCRR Framework)

Help the user prepare and deliver a decision briefing that maximizes their chances of getting a decision, using the Career Tools SOCRR model.

Reasoning Framework

This skill exists because decisions stall when the ask is unclear. SOCRR ensures the decision-maker receives a complete, structured brief with neutral options, explicit criteria, and a clear request — reducing back-and-forth.

Output Contract

Artifact	Format	Handed to
Decision briefing	Markdown (5 SOCRR sections)	Decision-maker / executive

The Core Problem

We need a decision from our boss and we can't get one. Most people just complain to their peers. That changes nothing. Bosses delay decisions because there is less pain in not deciding than in deciding -- once they decide, they risk being wrong. Your job is to make the decision as easy as possible by doing the legwork and presenting it professionally.

The SOCRR Model

Every decision briefing follows five steps, preceded by an introduction:

Introduction (Purpose)

State the purpose immediately. Within the first 10 words, say the word "decision." If your briefing is ever mistaken for an information briefing, the audience will tune out and you will not get a decision.

Template: "Good morning. The purpose of my briefing today is to obtain a decision from you regarding [specific decision]. I'm going to share the basic situation and facts, lay out the options we're considering, do a comparison of the options followed by my recommendation, and then I'll ask for your decision."

S — Situation

Lay out the facts and basic parameters surrounding the decision. Focus on the current state, not the history.

Key rules:

• Present facts about where things stand now, not a chronology of how you got here
• If you find yourself saying "and then we did this, and then we did this," you have slipped into history mode -- stop
• Do not tell a dramatic story. Let the strength of your comparison be the drama
• Even if the audience has heard informational briefings leading up to this, do not skip the situation. Not everyone was at every meeting, and your later sections are built on this foundation
• If someone says "we know this, move along," acknowledge them, say you will be brief, but cover the key situational points that your comparison depends on

O — Options

Describe the options being considered. List them neutrally with a brief overview of each.

Key rules:

• Format each option as a bullet point, not a table row. Keep each bullet tight: option name in bold, followed by a brief one-sentence description
• Do not describe pluses and minuses yet -- that belongs in comparison
• Do not share criteria or analysis yet
• Stay neutral. Do not signal which option you favor
• If someone asks for details, say: "In the interest of the briefing, I'm going to hold off on details until I share the criteria. I'll be there in just a minute."
• Always include the status quo as an option. Call it "status quo," not "do nothing." Including it makes the cost of inaction visible and can tip the balance when the other options seem expensive or risky

C — Comparison

First detail the criteria you will use, then compare each option against those criteria.

Key rules:

• Present all criteria before applying any of them to any option
• Choose criteria carefully. Smart executives will attack your recommendation based on your criteria or how you weighted them
• Not all criteria are self-explanatory. "Cost" is universally understood (less is better). "Location" is not -- it needs sub-factors explained
• Two valid approaches for structuring criteria:
  • Detailed criteria up front: Define each criterion with its measurement standards, then use rankings in the comparison cells
  • Broad criteria labels: Use short criterion names, then list specific factors for each option in the comparison cells
• Use a comparison table: options as rows, criteria as columns
• Cover every option against every criterion. Do not skimp on any option, even the weakest one
• Never put your thumb on the scales. If you are seen to manipulate the comparison to favor your recommendation, you will lose credibility and trust permanently. Your professional obligation is to drive a good decision for the organization, not to win

R — Recommendation

State your recommendation clearly and briefly. Do not re-do the comparison.

Template: "Based on this comparison and our clear concerns about [top criteria], my recommendation is [specific recommendation]."

This step is one or two sentences. The recommendation stands on the foundation you built in situation, options, and comparison.

R — Request

Ask for the decision. This is what separates a decision briefing from an information briefing.

Template: "I've recommended [option]. What's your decision?"

Key rules:

• Do not skip this step. If you do not ask, you will not get a decision, which defeats the entire purpose
• It may feel uncomfortable, like closing an interview. Practice it
• If they say "we'll get back to you," that is still better than never asking. You can follow up with: "Can you help me understand what concerns you have? Perhaps I didn't cover something appropriately."
• Executives respect professionals who follow through and ask for what they need

Two Hidden Factors: Time and Risk

For each option and for the overall decision, ask yourself:

• Time: What is the cost of delaying this decision? What is the value of moving more quickly? If timing has a notable effect on any option, include it in your criteria
• Risk: What risks exist for each option that do not exist for the others? Contract risk, reputation risk, resource commitment risk. If risk is notable, include it as a criterion

These do not have to be separate criteria, but you must think through them and be ready to address them when asked.

Use SOCRR Always -- Longer or Shorter

The question is never "is this decision important enough to use SOCRR?" The question is "how long or short should this decision briefing be?"

• A $1,000 copier decision might be three slides
• A $50 million expansion decision might be thirty slides
• Use small decisions to practice so you are sharp when the big ones come
• If you only use SOCRR for big decisions, you will not be good at it when it matters most

Pre-Wiring Is Non-Negotiable

Effective decision briefings are virtually always pre-wired. Before the meeting:

• Take a draft of your proposal to each stakeholder individually
• Walk them through the process and show them the slides
• Ask: "What guidance do you have? What would I need to change for you to feel good about this?"
• Incorporate their input into your briefing
• If someone plans to introduce a surprise option, either include it or make a case for why it should not be there
• The goal: before the meeting starts, you already know how people will respond

"Slam dunk" briefings come from pre-wiring, not from the briefing itself.

How to Help Users

When the user asks for help with a decision briefing:

1. Clarify the decision -- What specific decision do they need? Who is the decision-maker?
2. Draft the introduction -- Help them state the purpose with "decision" in the first 10 words
3. Build the situation -- Pull out the key facts. Flag if they are slipping into chronology or drama
4. List the options -- Ensure they include status quo. Flag if they are mixing in pluses/minuses or criteria. Format as bullet points, not a table
5. Define criteria -- Help them choose criteria that are fair, complete, and clearly defined. Flag vague criteria that need sub-factors
6. Build the comparison table -- Create a matrix with options as rows and criteria as columns. Use short descriptive text in each cell, not emojis or symbols that lose context
7. State the recommendation -- Keep it to one or two sentences grounded in the comparison
8. Write the request -- Draft the closing ask
9. Check time and risk -- Review each option for timing implications and unique risks
10. Plan pre-wiring -- Identify stakeholders and plan individual walk-throughs before the meeting

Document formatting rules:

• Do NOT include a top-level summary section. Start the document directly with the Introduction
• Everything before the comparison table (Introduction + Situation + Options) must not exceed 500 words combined

Questions to Help Users

• "What specific decision do you need from your boss?"
• "Who is the decision-maker, and who else will be in the room?"
• "What are the facts about the current state? Not how you got here -- where things stand right now."
• "What options are on the table? Have you included the status quo?"
• "What criteria will you use to compare the options? Are any of those criteria complex enough to need sub-factors explained?"
• "Have you considered the cost of delaying this decision?"
• "What unique risks does each option carry?"
• "Have you walked each stakeholder through a draft before the meeting?"
• "Can you state your recommendation in one sentence?"
• "Are you prepared to ask for the decision at the end?"

Common Mistakes to Flag

• Burying the purpose -- If "decision" does not appear in the first 10 words of the introduction, the audience will think it is an information briefing and tune out
• Telling a history instead of stating the situation -- "And then we did X, and then Y happened" is chronology, not situation. Present current-state facts
• Mixing pluses/minuses into options -- Save all evaluation for the comparison step. Stay neutral when listing options
• Skipping the status quo -- Without it, inaction looks like a free option. Including it makes the cost of doing nothing visible
• Vague criteria -- Not all criteria are as self-explanatory as "cost." If a criterion needs measurement standards or sub-factors, define them
• Putting your thumb on the scales -- Manipulating criteria or weighting to favor your recommendation destroys credibility permanently
• Re-doing the comparison in the recommendation -- The recommendation is one or two sentences. The comparison already did the work
• Not asking for the decision -- If you do not request a decision, you will not get one. The entire briefing was for this moment
• Skipping pre-wiring -- Walking into a decision meeting without having individually briefed stakeholders is the most common reason decision briefings fail

Related Skills

• Stakeholder Alignment
• Managing Up
• Running Effective Meetings
• Evaluating Trade-offs
• Giving Presentations