How to prepare an operating decision with AI

Before you begin

Work toward: A decision brief and a short action record.

The decision and the person responsible for it
Source reports with definitions and dates
The options, constraints, and unresolved disagreements

Step 01

Frame the decision in one sentence

Specify what must be decided, by whom, and by when. Distinguish a request for information from a choice between actions. Include the option of doing nothing and the consequences of delay. Give AI this frame before asking it to summarize reports.

Step 02

Reconcile definitions before explaining a change

For each important measure, record its source, owner, period, formula, and exclusions. Check whether two reports use the same customer population or time window. Ask AI to flag inconsistencies and missing definitions. Do not let it smooth conflicting numbers into a single confident narrative.

Step 03

Compare options against shared criteria

Choose criteria such as cost, reversibility, execution capacity, and time to learn. Have AI lay out each option against the same criteria, citing the supplied evidence. Separate a recorded constraint from an estimate. Avoid a weighted score unless the decision owner understands and accepts the weights.

Step 04

Write the strongest case against the preferred option

Ask what evidence would reverse the recommendation and what could fail during execution. Assign someone to check the most consequential unknown. If the necessary evidence is missing, narrow the decision or run a reversible test. An AI recommendation does not replace the owner’s judgment.

Step 05

Close the loop with an action record

Capture the decision, rationale, owner, due date, and review trigger. For a meeting follow-up, separate agreed actions from suggestions made during discussion. Have each owner confirm the commitment before sending it as an instruction. At the next review, compare the expected signal with what happened.

Hypothetical example

What this looks like in practice

The starting point

Revenue is down, so the AI recommends more outbound activity.

A more useful approach

Two reports disagree about whether renewals are included. The owner reconciles the definition first, then compares retention and acquisition actions against the same period and capacity constraints.

Before you call it done

Measures have definitions, sources, and dates.
The decision owner can see alternatives and uncertainty.
Every committed action has an owner and a review trigger.

Explore all how-to guides

Compare options against shared criteria

Close the loop with an action record

Before you begin

Frame the decision in one sentence

Reconcile definitions before explaining a change

Compare options against shared criteria

Write the strongest case against the preferred option

Close the loop with an action record

What this looks like in practice

The starting point

A more useful approach

Before you call it done

Continue reading

Before you begin

Frame the decision in one sentence

Reconcile definitions before explaining a change

Compare options against shared criteria

Write the strongest case against the preferred option

Close the loop with an action record

What this looks like in practice

The starting point

A more useful approach

Before you call it done

Continue reading