Argumentation
Position, rationale, trade off
Communicate a decision including what it costs.
The shape
- Position
- Rationale
- Trade off
- Decision
Why that order
Strong decisions acknowledge what is being given up. A recommendation with no stated cost reads as a recommendation that has not been examined.
A worked example
I recommend keeping the current vendor. Their performance is stable and switching now creates real transition risk. The trade off is that we keep paying a slightly higher rate. Given the deadline, I think that is acceptable.
Used in
Where this shape does its work in a real situation.
Mostly serves Message, and reaches into Intent.
A framework tells you what shape the answer takes. It cannot tell you whether shape is what you are short of, and for most people it is not. Which one is yours, and whether a framework is the right instrument at all, is what a Discovery Call is for.
Take the AssessmentOr read the whole glossary first.