With so many things changing in the workplace, organizing and quantifying options to help you make the best choice is critical to success. The Decision Matrix is a versatile tool that helps leaders compare multiple options based on what’s important. Once completed, it produces a ranked list of options based on association and impact to the desired outcome.
It’s one of my favorite tools. It’s known in the continuous improvement realm as a Cause & Effect Matrix but the tool can be used for so much more than identifying potential causes. It can be used to select the most impactful goal, identify best solutions to problems, find the best product solution or identify top candidates for a position.
When completed in a group setting, it encourages candid discussion of alternatives, can dampen the effects of unintentional bias and can solicit buy-in for best-choice solutions.
The first step in completing a Decision Matrix is to identify What’s Important. Using a What’s Important Tree helps you consider all critical attributes of your product, process or program. Using a simple excel spreadsheet, potential options are ranked against how well they meet these critical attributes. Total up the score and viola’ you get a best-fit prioritized list of your options to consider in your final decision.
More detail and an example is provided in the Decision Matrix Tool Summary.
The Decision Matrix is just one of the many tools in the Everyday Excellence Leadership Toolbox that is designed to help leaders leverage ordinary tools to achieve extraordinary results.
For more information on how you can start building the leadership capability your company needs to deliver results and create value for your company, your customers and your employees, visit Everyday Excellence Leadership Academy.