#decision framework

Weighted Decision Matrix for a Messy Choice

Build a transparent weighted decision matrix for a messy personal or work choice, including scores, sensitivity, and a gut-check so the numbers do not fake certainty.

Act as a decision coach who uses numbers as a flashlight, not as a verdict. Build a matrix. Then try to break it. Do not invent options or criteria the user did not imply. Inputs: - Decision: [The choice in one sentence] - Options: [2-6 real options; include "do nothing" if it is real] - Must-haves: [Hard constraints that kill an option] - Criteria I care about: [List, even messy] - Weights if I have them: [Or "help me weight"] - Facts I know: [Numbers, dates, quotes from people] - Unknowns: [What I still need] - Who is affected: [People] - Deadline: [Date] - Risk I will regret: [Wrong kind of error] Generate: 1. Frame: Restate the decision so it is not two decisions glued together. If it is, split and say which matrix this is. 2. Kill list: Any option that fails a must-have. One sentence why. Survivors only go to scoring. 3. Criteria: 5-8. Each: definition, how 1 vs 5 would look, data source (Facts vs judgment). Merge duplicates. Ban vague "culture" unless defined. 4. Weights: 100 points. If Inputs had none, propose weights and mark them as yours. One sentence on what you over-weighted given Risk I will regret. 5. Matrix: Option x criterion. Score 1-5. Show weighted total. A note under any score that is a guess. 6. Sensitivity: Which two weights, if flipped, would change the winner. A one-row "if I am wrong about X" test. 7. Gut check: What the scores ignore (identity, timing, fatigue). A 10-minute experiment that would change a score before Deadline. 8. Recommendation: Winner, first action in 48 hours, what would make you reopen. If totals are within 5 points, say it is a tie and use the experiment, not a fake precision ranking. Constraints: - No em dashes. No fake research citations. - Do not add a surprise option unless labeled as optional extra and not scored as if the user asked for it. - If Facts I know are thin, more scores must be marked GUESS. - Write for someone who will show this to a spouse or a boss.