The decision matrix as theater

Most spreadsheets exist to make a pre-made decision look rigorous.

You already know what you want to do. You build the matrix. You weight the criteria. You add the scores. The matrix tells you the answer you wanted. You feel rigorous.

The matrix didn't decide anything. You did. The matrix is the after-the-fact justification.

This isn't always bad. Sometimes you need the documentation. Sometimes the team needs to see the work. Sometimes the matrix actually surfaces a consideration you missed.

Most of the time, it's theater.

The good decision was made by your judgment in the first ten seconds of seeing the options. The matrix took an hour to confirm what you already knew.

Three honest questions to run before you build a decision matrix:

Have I already picked? If yes, the matrix is theater. Skip it. Make the decision.

Am I building this to convince someone else? If yes, the matrix is a communication tool, not a decision tool. Be honest about that.

Is there one criterion that actually matters more than all the others combined? If yes, the matrix is hiding it under a pile of small ones. Identify the criterion. Decide on it.

The decision matrix is most useful when you're genuinely torn between two options that differ in non-obvious ways. That's rare.

The rest of the time, write down your decision, write down why, move on.

The decision log is more useful than the decision matrix.

The matrix is for show.

The log is for memory.

Pick the right tool.