RAPID decision framework: who decides, who advises

A RAPID decision framework fixes slow decisions by giving every person one clear role. The name stands for Recommend, Agree, Perform, Input and Decide. Bain and Company built it. Two of its partners, Paul Rogers and Marcia Blenko, described it in the Harvard Business Review in January 2006. The idea is simple: decisions stall when nobody knows who has the final word.

This guide explains each role and shows how a team can start using them this week.

Why decisions stall

Most teams do not lack ideas. They lack clarity. One person thinks they decide. Another thinks the group decides. A third waits to be asked. The work sits still while everyone assumes someone else will move.

Rogers and Blenko make a plain point. It does not matter how clever your strategy is if the company cannot make the right decisions quickly and well. Good decisions need clear roles.

The fix does not need new software or a new meeting. It needs names next to roles.

Sources: Paul Rogers and Marcia Blenko, "Who Has the D?", Harvard Business Review, January 2006, hbr.org/2006/01/who-has-the-d-how-clear-decision-roles-enhance-organizational-performance.

The five RAPID roles

Each letter is a job. Here is what each one means.

Recommend. This person runs the process. They gather facts, talk to the right people and bring a clear proposal to the decider. Pick one recommender per decision. They need the decider's trust and the time to reach stakeholders.

Agree. This person checks that the proposal can actually go ahead. Think of a sign-off that must be given, such as a legal check. Use this role sparingly. If the person who agrees and the person who recommends cannot settle their views, the decider makes the call.

Perform. This person owns carrying out the decision once it is made. Name them early, and confirm them quickly after the decision.

Input. These people share expertise, experience or facts that shape the recommendation. That includes people affected by the decision or who will do the work. Their input is heard, but it does not have to be followed.

Decide. This person makes the final choice and commits the organisation to act. Aim for one decider per decision. If a group must decide, agree on how it will reach an answer before it starts.

Sources: Paul Rogers and Marcia Blenko, "Who Has the D?", Harvard Business Review, January 2006, hbr.org/2006/01/who-has-the-d-how-clear-decision-roles-enhance-organizational-performance.

How to run one decision with RAPID

Pick a real decision that is waiting. Write the five letters on a page. Put a name next to each one. Keep it to one name for Recommend and one for Decide.

Next, share the page with everyone named. Ask each person to confirm their role in a short message. This takes minutes and removes most of the guessing.

Then set a date. The recommender brings the proposal by that date. The decider answers by a second date. Perform starts the day after.

A simple example: a regional office wants to change its supplier. The operations lead recommends. Legal agrees, because contract terms must be met. Finance and the warehouse team give input. The country manager decides. The operations team performs the switch.

Sources: The worked example is the editors' illustration of how the roles fit together. Role definitions follow Rogers and Blenko, as cited above.

Common mistakes to avoid

The first mistake is two deciders. When two people hold the final word, neither does. Choose one.

The second is too many Agree roles. Each one adds a veto and a delay. Give the role only to people whose sign-off is truly required.

The third is forgetting Perform. A good decision with no owner for the follow-through will fade. Name the person who will carry it out.

The fourth is ignoring input. People who feel unheard may resist later. Even when you do not use their idea, tell them what you heard and why you chose differently.

Sources: Paul Rogers and Marcia Blenko, "Who Has the D?", Harvard Business Review, January 2006, as cited above. The tips in this section are the editors' practical advice.

Where to start

Not every decision needs a full set of roles. Small, easy choices can just be made. Save RAPID for decisions that matter a lot or that come up often.

Begin with two or three of those. Run them with named roles. After a few rounds, most teams find that the roles become second nature, and the page is no longer needed.

The goal is not paperwork. It is speed and trust. When people know who recommends, who agrees, who decides and who does the work, decisions move.

Sources: Paul Rogers and Marcia Blenko, "Who Has the D?", Harvard Business Review, January 2006. The closing advice is the editors' own.

Sources

• Paul Rogers and Marcia Blenko, "Who Has the D?: How Clear Decision Roles Enhance Organizational Performance," Harvard Business Review, January 2006.