Best Practices for Documenting Decision Processes

The simple practice that has improved my decision making Shane Parrish from Farnam Street introduced me to decision journaling in 2019. What started as a simple concept has become one of my most valuable leadership tools. After years of making big decisions and wondering why some worked out better than others, I started doing something that felt almost too simple: writing them down. Not just the decision itself, but the assumptions behind it. For every major decision such as product launches, key hires and more, I document three things: 1. What decision we're making and why 2. What key assumptions are driving this decision 3. What outcomes we expect and by when Then, six months later, I revisit the journal. Not to judge past decisions, but to understand which assumptions were wrong and why. Where This Gets Really Powerful: Hiring I apply this to every senior hire. During interviews, I document what we think this person will excel at and what outcomes we expect. Six months later, during performance reviews, I compare the interview notes to reality. "We thought Sam would spike on innovation. She scored high in interviews. But looking at her first six months, where are the innovative ideas?" This isn't about being right or wrong—it's about calibrating my assessment skills. I've done this for every promotion and attrition too. When someone leaves, I go back to their original interview notes and ask: What did we think they'd be great at? What actually happened? The Compound Effect After two years of decision journaling, I can see my own blind spots clearly. I tend to underestimate implementation complexity. I overvalue certain interview signals. These insights don't just improve future decisions—they help me know when to seek different perspectives. The practice takes a few minutes per decision and has fundamentally changed how I think about leadership accountability. What systems do you use to improve your decision-making over time?

Design Decisions Without Documentation? Think Again! Documenting your design decisions is like leaving breadcrumbs for your future self and team. Not only does it foster better products, but it also cultivates a growth mindset, making you a more thoughtful, strategic designer. It is key to the success of any product because it provides clarity to the entire team. As far as I’ve seen, design processes are rarely linear. Multiple stakeholders are involved, each with their own perspective. Keeping track of these decisions helps avoid confusion, ensures consistency, and minimises the risk of reworking designs later. It also serves as a bridge between the present and future iterations, allowing future designers to understand the rationale behind each decision, which can be a huge time-saver. [Tips for Documenting Design Decisions] 1] Start Early and Keep It Simple: Begin documenting from the very first discussions and keep it lightweight. You don’t need to write essays, bullet points or a short paragraph explaining each major decision will suffice. 2] Use Visuals: Where possible, supplement text with visuals. Screenshots, wireframes, and prototypes make it easier to communicate your thoughts. 3] Centralise Documentation: Make sure everyone has access to this documentation by using tools like Notion, Confluence, or even Figma’s comment features. 4] Keep It Organised: Organise documentation chronologically or by feature. It’s easier to reference when things are categorised properly. 5] Review and Update Regularly: Don’t treat documentation as a “set it and forget it” task. Revisit it periodically, especially during major project milestones or product updates. I’ve found that the more transparent you are about your design choices, the stronger your credibility becomes not only as a designer but as a problem-solver. At the end of the day, a well-documented process is your safety net, it ensures you’re making deliberate, informed choices rather than just gut decisions. #uxdesign #uxdocumentation #productdesign #ux

Death by decision: your Office of the CEO makes 297,000 judgment calls every day. Calculation: 33,000 decisions / person / day * 3 people (CEO, Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant) * 3x CEO Office workload / avg human workload = 𝟮𝟵𝟳,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 / 𝗱𝗮𝘆. Sources: Harvard Business Review and Cedar research. Decisions to consider: Do you invest in a new product? Do you coach a failing leader? Do you meet with an unqualified prospect? These decisions add up and cause real decision fatigue if you’re not careful. So, how do you increase decision velocity without sacrificing quality? How do you avoid death by 297,000 decisions? The answer is 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹. Decision Protocol is a rules-based process that helps decision groups and your Office of the CEO manage and document their reasoning. Here are 7 steps you can do to speed up decision making and reduce decision exhaustion: 𝟭 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 Figure out what you are actually deciding on, i.e. are you deciding to go to market in 5 new cities or 3 new countries? Define your decision criteria, i.e. cost, time, or value. 𝟮 𝗦𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗼 Based on decision scope, determine whether this is a decision for your Office of the CEO or if it can be delegated to someone on your C-suite team. Remember, the more you empower your leaders to make their own decisions, the better they feel and the less work you have to do. 𝟯 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿 If you must take on the decision, nominate someone on your Office of the CEO team to take on this decision - either the Executive Assistant, Chief of Staff or your CEO as a last resort. 𝟰 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 Identify the top 3 (maximum 5) decision options to simplify the decision process. Gather information on each choice and analyze all outcomes. 𝟱 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 Make a call and commit to your decision, based on your decision criteria. Document your decision choice, reasoning and date in a 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗴. 𝟲 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Implement your decision and take immediate action. Track the business outcomes of your decision over time. 𝟳 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 Review your Decision Log every quarter to complete a post-mortem on the quality of your decisions, the speed of decision making and your decision protocol itself. Make adjustments as needed. There you have it - 7 steps to implement Decision Protocol. Done well, you’ll avoid death by 297,000 decisions in your Office of the CEO. === Like this post if it will help you implement decision protocol for your Office of the CEO. Follow me, Mackenzie Lee, for more Office of the CEO content and an upcoming, industry-defining Office of the CEO Playbook.