Frameworks

Signal over noise starts with better decisions.

Most leaders don't need more information.
They need better filters.

These are the decision rules I use when evaluating AI and modern technology initiatives. They're built from projects that worked. And a few that didn't.

Use them before approving spend, launching pilots, or sitting through another vendor demo.

1. The Do-Nothing Test

Before approving any new technology initiative, ask:

  • What breaks if we don't do this?
  • What improves if we wait six months?
  • Is the urgency ours or the vendor's?

If nothing meaningful breaks by waiting, pause.

Not acting is often a valid strategy. Discipline beats speed.

2. Reduction vs Relocation

Does this reduce work or relocate it?

AI and automation often move effort:

  • Drafting becomes reviewing.
  • Manual work becomes supervision.
  • Decision-making becomes validation.

If the total cognitive load doesn't drop, you haven't gained leverage. You've just redistributed effort.

Call that honestly.

3. The Ownership Rule

Who owns the output when it's wrong?

If responsibility is shared, it's usually avoided.

Every technology initiative needs a named owner who carries reputational risk. Not a committee. Not "the team."

No ownership, no accountability. No accountability, no result.

4. The Decision Clarity Filter

What specific decision does this improve?

Not:

  • "It increases productivity."
  • "It helps innovation."
  • "It modernises us."

Be precise.

Does it improve pricing decisions? Hiring decisions? Forecasting accuracy? Operational turnaround time?

If you can't define the decision it improves, you're funding activity.

5. The Scar Test

Have we tried something similar before?

If yes:

  • What actually caused it to fail?
  • Was it tooling, discipline, culture, or leadership?
  • Have we fixed that root issue?

Better tools don't fix weak decision-making.

They amplify it.

6. The Trade-Off Declaration

Every technology gain comes with a cost.

Before approving anything, state the trade-off clearly:

  • Speed vs accuracy
  • Control vs flexibility
  • Cost vs resilience
  • Automation vs oversight

If no one can articulate the downside, the conversation isn't mature yet.

7. The "Explain It Simply" Rule

If you can't explain the initiative in one clear sentence to a non-technical executive, it isn't ready.

Complexity often hides uncertainty.

Clarity exposes it.

Technology doesn't fail because it's advanced.

It fails because the decisions behind it were vague.

These filters are not about slowing progress.
They're about improving judgment.

Signal over noise starts here.