The Matrix

Struggling with a tough decision? Wavering back and forth, unable to make up your mind? Very likely your frustration results from thinking about a complex problem—like buying a house—one factor at a time. To attack a complex problem and keep track of its multiple factors, create a decision matrix:

Down the left side, enter your options. Across the top, list your decision criteria. A criterion is an objective test upon which a judgment can be made.
Assign a weight to each criterion to indicate its importance to a good decision. The weight is usually a number between 0.0 and 1.0 with the sum of the weights equaling 1.0.
Then, one column at a time, ask: “To what degree does option 1..2..3 contribute to criterion A..B..C?” Use a simple scale where 5 = Highest Contribution and 1 = Lowest Contribution.
Multiply the score in each cell by the criterion’s weight.
Then add across the rows to determine a total, weighted score for each option.

You should now have a deeper understanding of the relative value of each option. Hey, maybe you’ll even be able to make the decision!

Use the illustration below to build your decision matrix. Alternatively, visit “Let Simon Decide,” a pretty effective online tool for matrix decision-making.