Decision Log
This page explains Decision Log and its relevance to business operations.
D07 - Decision Rights Clarity
Definition
A running written record of every operational decision that affects more than one team, commits real resources, or sets a precedent, including who made it, what alternatives were considered, and what the outcome was.
In the absence of a decision log, organizational memory is a function of tenure. When the people who made the decisions leave, the reasoning leaves with them, and the same decisions get relitigated repeatedly, often with worse outcomes because nobody knows why the first decision was made.
Indicators
- A decision from six months ago has been questioned by someone who wasn't in the room when it was made, and nobody could explain the reasoning.
- The same decision category has been "decided" multiple times in different directions by different people.
- Your decision-making process is entirely verbal, with no written record of alternatives considered.
Quick Win
- Write down one decision your team made in the last month that affected more than one person.
- Log it now: Date, decision, maker, and alternatives considered.
- That's your first entry.
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