Decision meetings fail when the options are unclear, the decision-maker is absent, or the group wastes time on context that should have been shared in advance. This template forces all three to be addressed before the meeting starts.
Name the specific decision to be made in one sentence. Confirm who has final authority to decide.
Walk through 2–3 options with trade-offs. This should be a summary — the detailed analysis was sent as a pre-read 24 hours before.
Open the floor for questions, concerns, and missing considerations. The facilitator keeps discussion focused on the decision at hand — adjacent topics are captured for later.
The decision-maker states the decision explicitly. If no decision can be made, name the specific blocker and who will resolve it by when.
Restate the decision. Assign action items with owners and deadlines. Document the decision in writing before the meeting ends.
Pre-meeting checklist
- Decision-maker is confirmed and attending
- Options and trade-offs documented in a pre-read
- Pre-read sent at least 24 hours before the meeting
- Only people needed for the decision are invited
When to use 50 minutes instead
Use the longer format when the decision involves multiple stakeholders with conflicting priorities, when the trade-offs are genuinely complex, or when the decision is irreversible and high-stakes. Most day-to-day decisions fit in 25 minutes.