The best made decisions in the world are worthless if they are not acted on. When the decision is made, immediately document that decision in your RAID log and list the actions that need to be performed in order to implement it, adding assignments and due dates. This process makes for a good discussion with the decision makers at the time the decision is made.
One of the most important actions is communicating the decision to impacted stakeholders and team members. This can of course be done by sharing this part of your RAID log, but often decisions will require additional communication and alignment. Be sure that is accounted for in your decision actions.
Tips on executive decision making
When working with executives to get a decision made, be careful to present the right level of detail. If you drill down too deep, your executives might get lost in the details and miss the big picture. Highlight the impact to the project’s goals and its stakeholders first so they understand the big picture, then take them through additional layers of detail if needed.
It is good practice to have backup detail at the ready if needed, in case your executives start asking hard questions and drilling down. If you are presenting using a PowerPoint, for example, have a hidden section at the end with “backup slides” of detailed data that you can refer to if needed.
