Method guide · Work with a structured grid
Decision Debt Ledger
Manage deferred decisions by recording the cost of waiting, information needed, and conditions for resuming.
- People
- 3–20
- Base procedure time
- 30 minutes
- Recording
- Shared record
Purpose: Make a decision; Reflect and learn.
English guide
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How this method works
A decision method that manages deferred decisions by recording what information is awaited and the conditions for resuming. Use it when undecided items accumulate, nobody knows who is waiting for what, and the same discussions recur. Separate losses caused by deferral from the information sought, then define observable conditions for resuming to turn postponement into waiting that can be checked. Examine the losses of waiting together and distinguish inertia from intentional waiting. The result is a deferral ledger with reasons, a person responsible, and a review date. Do not use it to defer an urgent stop or legal compliance, or to make final decisions on behalf of an absent decision-maker.
Phase schedule
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- List deferred decisions0–5 minutes from the start (5 minutes)
Action: List. Participation: Everyone.
Individual record
- Write the losses5–12 minutes from the start (7 minutes)
Action: Write. Participation: Groups of 3–5.
Shared record
- Set resumption conditions12–20 minutes from the start (8 minutes)
Action: Set. Participation: Groups of 3–5.
Shared record
- Choose how to handle each item20–26 minutes from the start (6 minutes)
Action: Choose. Participation: Everyone.
Shared record
- Retain the ledger26–30 minutes from the start (4 minutes)
Action: Retain. Participation: Everyone.
Shared record
Facilitation steps
- For 5 minutes, write decisions deferred during the current period and when each was deferred, one decision per sticky note.
- For 7 minutes, add one loss from waiting to each note: time, cost, or opportunity.
- For 8 minutes, record the information needed to resume and an observable condition that allows a judgement to resume in the ledger.
- For 6 minutes, place each item in decide, wait, or withdraw.
- For 4 minutes, add the person responsible for gathering information and the next review date to each waiting item.
If something changes
If
Three minutes into listing deferred decisions, at least half of the participants still have blank notes.
Then
Ask each person to recall and write one conversation from the past 30 days in which a conclusion was postponed.
If
Four minutes into setting conditions, at least 3 items still have no resumption condition.
Then
Check whether each can be withdrawn without that information and remove it from the waiting items.
Preparation
Materials
- Sticky notes for deferred decisions, one decision per note (4 per person)
- A3 ledger sheets (1 per group plus 1 for whole-group consolidation)
- Pens (1 per person)
- Small date cards (1 per deferred decision)
Room and setup
- A vertical surface at least 60 cm high per group, arranged with the oldest deferral at the top
- One tabletop surface per group divided into decide, wait, and withdraw areas
- One wall surface for rearranging items in order of the nearest review date
Adjust for people and time
The method is not viable with fewer than 3 participants because the two roles of decision-maker and recorder cannot both be filled. Divide everyone into groups of no more than 5, with group sizes differing by no more than 1 person, and use one ledger per group. Each group transfers no more than 2 waiting items to the whole-group ledger. With 20 participants, review the 8 items from 4 groups together and arrange them in order of the nearest review date.
Safety and non-applicable situations
Do not use the ledger to defer an urgent stop or legal compliance, or to make a final decision on behalf of an absent decision-maker. Distinguish losses from information sought, and give waiting items a person responsible and a review date.
Historical translation and source notes
These original notes are retained verbatim with their fixed source versions. This historical label does not resolve a source-specific concern or establish current acceptance.
- The source requires at least 3 participants but explains this by naming only two roles, decision-maker and recorder. It gives no further explanation of why those roles cannot both be filled below 3. This draft retains the minimum and rationale without inventing another role or changing the participation rule.
Manuscript's recorded references
These translate the original manuscript's source and rights claims. They remain separate from any current-page notice below; they do not establish new verification.
- Taiwa no Fumen editorial team: Decision Debt Ledger
Original description and illustrations
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Editorial provenance
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