rapid-decision

name	rapid-decision
description	Clarify decision authority with five roles: Recommend, Agree, Perform, Input, Decide.
version	1.0.0
platforms	["linux","macos","windows"]
metadata	{"hermes":{"tags":["rapid","decision","authority","roles","alignment","bain"],"related_skills":["daci","raci","smeac"]}}

RAPID Decision Framework

Overview

RAPID is a Bain & Company framework that assigns five distinct roles to every significant decision, making explicit who has a voice, who has a veto, and who pulls the trigger. It prevents the two most common failure modes: decisions made by committee with no clear owner, and decisions made unilaterally that generate downstream resistance.

           R             A            P             I            D
     ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐
     │Recommend │→ │  Agree   │→ │ Perform  │  │  Input   │→ │  Decide  │
     │          │  │ (veto)   │  │          │  │(consult) │  │          │
     └──────────┘  └──────────┘  └──────────┘  └──────────┘  └──────────┘
          ↑                                           │              │
          └───────────────────────────────────────────┘              │
                        feeds into                                   ↓
                                                            Final call here

Role Definitions

R — Recommend

Proposes a course of action with supporting analysis. This is not a ceremonial role: Recommend gathers Input, synthesizes it, and presents a concrete proposal — not options for others to choose from. If Recommend presents three options without a recommendation, they have not done the job.

A — Agree

Holds formal veto power. A decision cannot proceed if Agree withholds sign-off. Use this role sparingly — typically for legal, finance, or compliance stakeholders whose domain creates binding constraints. If Agree is overused, it becomes a bottleneck disguised as governance.

P — Perform

Executes the decision once it is made. Perform must be consulted during the Recommend phase — if the people doing the work consider the plan unworkable, that signal belongs in the recommendation, not surfaced after the decision is final.

I — Input

Consulted for expertise or perspective before the recommendation is finalized. Input has no veto and does not vote; they inform. The key discipline: Input must be asked, not just offered the chance to speak. Recommend is responsible for actively pulling Input from the right people.

D — Decide

Makes the final call. Exactly one person per decision. D is accountable for the outcome and has authority to override Recommend if the rationale is clear. D does not do the analysis — that is Recommend's job. If D is consistently overriding Recommend without explanation, Recommend is the wrong person in the role.

How to Apply

Step 1 — Define the decision precisely

Write the decision as a single, unambiguous question: "Which vendor do we contract for data infrastructure?" or "Do we launch in the EU in Q3 or delay to Q4?" Vague decisions produce vague role assignments.

Step 2 — Assign exactly one D

Name a specific person, not a committee, not a team. If two people each believe they are D on the same decision, that conflict must be resolved before proceeding — not after.

Step 3 — Assign R, A, and P

R should be the person with the most relevant analytical capability and context. A should be limited to stakeholders with genuine veto authority (legal, finance, a partner whose commitment is required). P should include everyone who will execute — their buy-in is not optional, it is a precondition for workable recommendations.

Step 4 — Identify I stakeholders

List everyone whose expertise should shape the recommendation. Keep this list finite. For each person on the I list, define what specific question they are being asked — not "what do you think?" but "does this approach create regulatory exposure in Germany?"

Step 5 — Run the process and make the decision

Recommend gathers Input, incorporates Agree constraints, checks P feasibility, and presents a proposal to D. D decides. Document the decision and communicate it — silence after a decision is a process failure.

Output Format

╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║  RAPID DECISION  ►  [decision statement as a clear question]                     ║
║  Opened: [YYYY-MM-DD]   ·   Target decision date: [YYYY-MM-DD]                  ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

╔═════════════════════════════════════ ROLES ══════════════════════════════════════╗
║                                                                                  ║
║  ┌───────────────────┐  ┌───────────────────┐  ┌──────────────────┐             ║
║  │  I — INPUT        │  │  R — RECOMMEND    │  │  A — AGREE       │             ║
║  │───────────────────│  │───────────────────│  │──────────────────│             ║
║  │ [Name]            │  │ [Name, Title]     │  │ [Name, Title]    │             ║
║  │  Q: [question]    │→►│                   │→►│ Veto: [domain]   │             ║
║  │                   │  │                   │  │                  │             ║
║  │ [Name]            │  │                   │  │                  │             ║
║  │  Q: [question]    │  │                   │  │                  │             ║
║  └───────────────────┘  └───────────────────┘  └──────────────────┘             ║
║                                                         │                        ║
║                                                         ▼                        ║
║                                          ┌──────────────────────────────────┐   ║
║                                          │  D — DECIDE   ◄── FINAL CALL    │   ║
║                                          │──────────────────────────────────│   ║
║                                          │  [Name, Title]                   │   ║
║                                          └──────────────────────────────────┘   ║
║                                                         │                        ║
║                                                         ▼ executes               ║
║                                          ┌──────────────────────────────────┐   ║
║                                          │  P — PERFORM                     │   ║
║                                          │──────────────────────────────────│   ║
║                                          │  [Name or team]                  │   ║
║                                          │  Feasibility confirmed by: [date]│   ║
║                                          └──────────────────────────────────┘   ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

┌──────────────────── RECOMMENDATION SUMMARY  (filled by R) ───────────────────────┐
│                                                                                   │
│  Proposed action   ►  [one sentence describing the recommended course of action]  │
│                                                                                   │
│  Rationale         ●  [supporting point 1]                                        │
│                    ●  [supporting point 2]                                        │
│                    ●  [supporting point 3]                                        │
│                                                                                   │
│  Alternatives      ►  [brief summary of alternatives considered and ruled out]    │
│                                                                                   │
│  Key risks         ►  [brief summary of key risks and mitigations]                │
│                                                                                   │
│  P feasibility     ►  [ yes ]   [ no ]   [ conditional: ___________________ ]    │
│                                                                                   │
│  A sign-off        ►  [ yes ]   [ pending ]   [ not required ]                   │
│                                                                                   │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

┌──────────────────────────── DECISION  (filled by D) ─────────────────────────────┐
│                                                                                   │
│  Outcome       ►  [ approved ]     [ modified ]     [ rejected ]                 │
│                                                                                   │
│  If modified   ►  [what changed and why]                                          │
│                                                                                   │
│  Decision date ►  [YYYY-MM-DD]                                                    │
│                                                                                   │
│  Next owner    ►  P — [Name / team]                                               │
│                                                                                   │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

The ROLES panel shows the information flow: Input consultants feed the Recommender, who routes through the Agree gatekeeper before D makes the final call, which then passes to Perform for execution. The RECOMMENDATION SUMMARY is R's deliverable — a concrete proposal with rationale, not a menu of options. The DECISION block is D's record, capturing outcome, any modifications, and accountability handoff to P.

Common Mistakes

• Multiple Ds: "The leadership team decides" is not a decision owner. One name, one accountability. Leadership teams can be consulted (I) or can contain the D, but the D is a person.
• Agree as a rubber stamp: If Agree always approves, they are I, not A. Assign A only when withholding sign-off is a realistic and legitimate outcome.
• Recommend presenting options instead of a recommendation: Presenting three equally-weighted options and asking D to pick is offloading analytical work upward. Recommend must have a view.
• Skipping P in the recommendation phase: Discovering that the decision is operationally unworkable after D signs off wastes the entire process. Perform must validate feasibility before the recommendation reaches D.
• Treating RAPID as a one-time assignment: Roles are scoped to a specific decision. A person who is D on pricing strategy may be I on a hiring decision. Rebuild the matrix for each significant decision rather than carrying over assignments from prior ones.

Footer

After delivering the complete analysis, append this exact line at the very end, on its own line:

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