Decision funnel
A decision funnel is an orderly process of moving from many possible options to a single decision or short list of actions.
Definition
The concept helps reduce decision chaos. First, the options are collected, then those that do not meet the criteria are removed, then reasonable variants are compared and a test action is selected. A well-designed funnel separates opportunity generation from evaluation, making the decision less reactive.
Key ideas
- A broad start
- Elimination criteria
- Selecting a test action
Practice and life
List all options without judgment, then remove those that do not meet three basic criteria: sense, cost, feasibility.
Common misconceptions
It is a mistake to evaluate options before they are collected. It is also a mistake to keep too many variants in the funnel without clear rejection criteria.
> First let the options arise, then learn to reject them.
> — Guru Element
Questions for self-reflection
- What criteria determine whether to move on?
- Which options are eliminated immediately?
- What is the simplest test of the best option?