Guide
Decision-making templates: 7 you can copy today
Most bad decisions aren't a failure of judgement. They are a missing structure: nobody wrote the question down, nobody said who decides, and nobody recorded the answer. These seven templates fix one gap each. Use the one that matches your situation, not all of them.
Updated October 4, 2026 · 8 min read · By the Align team
Which template to use
Pick by the problem in front of you. If you are not sure what the decision even is, start with a brief. If the options are clear but the choice isn't, score them. If it is decided, write it down.
| Your situation | Use this |
|---|---|
| The question is vague or people disagree about what we're deciding | Decision brief |
| Three or more options, several things that matter | Weighted decision matrix |
| One choice, and you're torn | Pros and cons with weights |
| It's decided and a future person will ask why | Decision record (ADR) |
| Nobody knows who decides or who is consulted | DACI or RAPID roles |
| You need an at-a-glance history of decisions | Decision log |
| You are about to get everyone in a room | Decision-meeting agenda |
1. Decision brief (one page)
A brief forces the question onto one page before anyone debates it. It is the highest-leverage template because it is cheap to write and cheap to read. There is a longer guide on writing one.
Decision needed: [one sentence, as a question] Decider: [one name] Needed by: [date] because [what happens if we wait] Background: [3 sentences: why this came up now] Options 1. [Option A]: [what it is, in one line] 2. [Option B]: [what it is, in one line] 3. Do nothing: [what happens] Recommendation: [Option] because [the two reasons that matter most] Risks we accept: [what could go wrong, and how we'd know] What would change my mind: [one fact]
2. Weighted decision matrix
When you have several options and several things that matter, a matrix keeps the argument about what matters instead of about whose favourite wins. Weight each criterion 1 to 5, score each option 1 to 5, multiply and add.
| Criterion (weight 1-5) | Option A | Option B | Option C |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Criterion] ([weight]) | [1-5] | [1-5] | [1-5] |
| [Criterion] ([weight]) | [1-5] | [1-5] | [1-5] |
| [Criterion] ([weight]) | [1-5] | [1-5] | [1-5] |
| Weighted total | [sum] | [sum] | [sum] |
3. Pros and cons with weights
For one choice, a plain list hides the fact that points differ in size. Give each point a weight of 1 (small), 2 (matters) or 3 (decisive). The net score is pros minus cons by weight.
Decision: [question] Pros + [point] (weight 1-3) + [point] (weight 1-3) Cons - [point] (weight 1-3) - [point] (weight 1-3) Net: [pros total] - [cons total] = [score] If the net is within 1-2 points: what one fact would tip it? Go find it.
4. Decision record (ADR)
Once it's decided, capture why in a few lines. This is the template that saves you six months later when someone asks why you chose it. The format comes from architecture decision records and works for any significant decision.
Title: [the decision as a short statement] Status: Proposed | Decided | Superseded by [link] Date: [date] Context [Why this came up and what forces were in play] Options considered - [Option]: [pro] / [con] - [Option]: [pro] / [con] Decision [What we chose] Consequences - [What gets easier] - [What gets harder or needs doing] Revisit when: [date or condition]
5. DACI and RAPID: who decides
Disagreement about the answer is often disagreement about who gets to decide. Two common role frameworks fix that. DACI names a Driver (runs the process), an Approver (decides), Contributors (give input) and the Informed. RAPID, from Bain, splits it into Recommend, Agree, Perform, Input and Decide.
| DACI role | Who | Does |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | [name] | Frames the question, gathers input, drives to a date |
| Approver | [one name] | Makes the final call. Exactly one person. |
| Contributors | [names] | Provide input and expertise before the call |
| Informed | [names] | Told the outcome after |
For ongoing work rather than a single decision, a RACI chart (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) assigns roles per task. The rule that matters in all of them: one decider, one accountable person.
6. Decision log
A log is the index of your decisions: one row each, so anyone can scan what was decided and open the record for detail. Keep the columns few enough that people actually fill them in.
| Date | Decision | Why | Owner | Status | Link | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [date] | [what we decided] | [main reason] | [name] | Decided | [record or thread] |
7. Decision-meeting agenda
If you do need a meeting, structure it around the decision, not around the topic. Send the brief the day before so the meeting is for deciding.
0:00 Goal (3 min): we leave with one option chosen 0:03 Options and trade-offs (12 min): strongest case and biggest risk for each 0:15 Decide (8 min): the decider states the call; objections are recorded 0:23 Owners and next steps (7 min): one owner and a date per step After: send the decision record the same day.
Using them together
- Write the brief so the question and the decider are clear.
- Score the options in a matrix (or list weighted pros and cons if it's one choice).
- Hold a short meeting only if people still disagree. Otherwise decide in writing.
- Record the decision with its reasons, and add a row to the log.
- Assign the next steps with one owner each.
How Align does this for you
The templates are free to copy. Align removes the typing: the free tools on this site draft a decision matrix, pros and cons, a decision record or a RACI chart from what you give them, and the Align extension captures the decision and the owners from your Meet, Teams or Zoom call as it happens, so the record exists before anyone has to write it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a decision-making template?
A fill-in-the-blanks structure for one part of making a decision: stating the question, comparing options, assigning roles, or recording the result. The point is that the structure forces you to answer the questions people usually skip.
Which decision-making template should I start with?
A one-page decision brief. It makes you state the question, the decider, the deadline and a recommendation, which resolves many disagreements before they start.
What is the difference between DACI and RACI?
DACI is for a single decision and names who drives it, who approves it, who contributes and who is informed. RACI assigns responsibility per task across a project. Both depend on having exactly one approver or accountable person.
How many options should a decision matrix have?
Two to five options and three to six criteria. More dilutes the criteria that actually matter and makes people stop scoring carefully.
Do I need all seven templates for every decision?
No. Small, reversible decisions need a sentence. Use the brief and the record for big ones, add a matrix when options are close, and keep the log for anything people will ask about later.