
Key Decision Matrix
Key decisions are High Impact / High Unknown decisions.
A Key Decision is a significant decision that has high impact on a product’s ultimate success, and that the team does not have the knowledge to make with confidence. We handle these decisions carefully because they make or break the program.
By definition, Key Decisions have significant Knowledge Gaps that the team needs to close in order to make the decision without guesswork.
Instructions for use of this Template:
- In Free-Form View, brainstorm the potential Key Decisions. Put each Key Decision on its own sticky note.
- Group related Key Decisions together and combine any that are so close that they could be duplicates into a single Key Decision.
- Switch to Grid View.
- Sort your Key Decisions into the grid.
- Assign an owner to each Key Decision that is both High Impact and High Unknown.
- Copy only these Key Decisions to a Key Decision Flow Board.
Learn more:
Decisions That Stick — Why Innovators Need Rapid Learning Cycles by Katherine Radeka
About the Rapid Learning Cycles Framework
The Rapid Learning Cycles framework accelerates innovation by helping teams make decisions at the right time with the right people and the best available knowledge. The framework was developed by Katherine Radeka and first fully explained in her book, The Shortest Distance Between You and Your New Product: How Innovators Use RLCs to Get Their Best Ideas to Market Faster. You can learn more about the framework at the Rapid Learning Cycles Institute.