1. Frame the decision¶
Module outcome: a decision sentence and sufficiently complete PDAMR compass to know what evidence to seek and what action could change.
The question before technology¶
PULSE starts with: What decision do we want to improve? A priority is not a decision; neither is a problem. An insight or recommendation still does not commit a choice.
| Statement | What it is | What is missing |
|---|---|---|
| “Sales are falling” | Signal or problem | Who must choose what to do and when |
| “Why is conversion falling?” | Diagnostic question | The choice that will use the answer |
| “We should train the team” | Recommendation | Alternatives, criteria and authority to commit resources |
| “By Friday, the sales director will choose among redesigning the proposal, changing follow-up or not intervening” | Framed decision | Evidence, criteria, constraints, action and learning |
The decision sentence¶
By [date], [owner] must choose [one option] among [alternatives] to move [priority], using [criteria], under [constraints]. The choice will change [action].
A good sentence exposes timing, real owner, alternatives including no action where legitimate, priority, criteria, resource/regulatory/capacity/risk constraints, and subsequent action.
PDAMR compass¶
| Component | Question | Evidence of a useful answer |
|---|---|---|
| Priority | What material priority must move? | Baseline, horizon and consequence |
| Decision | What choice must improve? | Owner, options and date |
| Action | What will be done differently? | Observable behavioral, process or allocation change |
| Metric | How will we know? | Outcome, process and guardrails |
| Risk | What can go wrong and who controls it? | Harm, permissions, escalation and stop conditions |
PDAMR tests minimum completeness, not quality. A complete frame can still contain bad premises.
Hidden costs¶
- Wrong-action cost: waste, harm, inequity or lost trust.
- Delay cost: lost opportunity, accumulation or de-facto choice through inaction.
- Reversal cost: difficulty of undoing the option.
- Information cost: time and resources to reduce uncertainty.
“Research more” is superior only when expected information value exceeds cost and arrives before the decision loses usefulness.
Stress test¶
- Can the owner truly commit the action?
- Are options materially different?
- What would we prefer without new data?
- What information could change that preference?
- Who bears consequences without participating?
- If irreversible, what extra evidence is required?