Bain's RAPID Decision-making Model

Synopsis

61% of leaders complain about ineffective decision-making processes. Bain's RAPID Decision-making Model proposes a process for effective decision-making and delivery. The key roles involved are: Recommend, Agree, Perform, Input, and Decide. Use this presentation to sequence the relationship between stakeholders and ensure that responsibilities are clearly defined and achievable.

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What is Bain's rapid model?

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The Bain's RAPID model is a tool for clarifying the roles and responsibilities in decision-making processes within an organization. The acronym stands for:

Recommend: The person or team who analyzes the situation and proposes solutions.

Agree: The individuals who need to sign off on the decision before it's implemented.

Perform: The people who carry out the decision once it's made.

Input: Those who provide relevant information and expertise that informs the decision.

Decide: The person who makes the final decision.

This model helps to streamline decision-making processes, ensuring that everyone involved knows their role and responsibilities.

How can the RAPID model be used to improve decision-making in a team setting?

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The RAPID model can be used to improve decision-making in a team setting by clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of each team member. This model assigns roles such as Recommend, Agree, Perform, Input, and Decide to different individuals, ensuring that each decision-making process is efficient and effective. By sequencing the relationship between stakeholders, it ensures that responsibilities are clearly defined and achievable, leading to improved decision-making.

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Slide highlights

The RAPID decision-making matrix designates tasks across key leadership, product teams, and external resources.(Slide 8)

A RAPID team matrix assigns roles so decisions flow freely as teams synchronize without friction. (Slide 10)

A RAPID meeting checklist clarifies the decision that the meeting aims to reach, and how it will be communicated to stakeholders.(Slide 16)

Outcome

Companies that excel at decision-making grow 5.5 times more profits before taxes and return 4 times more to shareholders than those that don't.

Today's changing world means your business needs to be more focused, decision-driven, and innovative than ever before. Empower your team to make better decisions with Bain's RAPID Framework. And for more resources like this, check out our Bain's Management Toolkit (Part 1) and Bain's Management Toolkit (Part 2).

Application

Introduction

The RAPID system assigns roles to team members to clarify and speed up the decision-making process. First, determine "What" needs to be decided and assign "Who" will play each role. From there, the how and when will clarify the tasks and corresponding timeline. For example, say you need to make a decision on whether to launch an upcoming marketing initiative. You need to greenlight whether or not you're going forward with the promotion before you can decide who will lead the endeavor, how it will be enacted, and when it will be launched.(Slide 2)

Questions and answers

What are the alternatives to the RAPID decision-making model?

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Alternatives to the RAPID decision-making model include the Vroom-Yetton-Jago Decision Model, the OODA Loop, the Stepladder Technique, and the Consensus Decision-Making Model. Each of these models has its own unique approach and can be more suitable depending on the context and the nature of the decision to be made.

How does the RAPID model help in conflict resolution within a team?

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The RAPID model helps in conflict resolution within a team by assigning clear roles to team members, which speeds up the decision-making process and reduces potential conflicts. By determining what needs to be decided and who will play each role, it provides a clear structure and direction, reducing ambiguity and potential conflicts over responsibilities and tasks.

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Five key roles

RAPID divides the decision process among five key roles:

The Recommend role makes a recommendation for a decision. This person gathers the relevant facts and provides analysis.

The Agree role determines if a recommendation makes sense, or escalates disagreements on certain recommendations when necessary.

The Perform role executes the decision once the decision has been made, and is accountable for ensuring the decision is brought to fruition.

The Input role provides their feedback with critical expertise, experience, or additional information that helps develop recommendations. Inputs usually need to be consulted before a decision is made.

The Decide role makes the final decision and commits the organization to action. With a single decider, there is a single point of accountability, which speeds up decision-making.(Slide 4)

Decision-making process

There are three steps to the RAPID decision-making process: pre-decision, in the action, and upon decision. In the pre-decision phase, select the key decision-maker and pinpoint the topic of decision. You will also gather recommendation inputs during this phase. For instance, if you are trying to decide your next product to launch, select key decision-makers and recommenders who will pitch proposals to the decision-makers.

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During the in-action phase, present and discuss the facts, then debate and decide on the best decision. The input and agree roles are important here, and should be relevant to the final decision. For instance, you'll want input from creative, sales, and marketing teams on whether a new product is worth the investment. But it will ultimately be up to other roles, for instance, the executive team to make the final decision.

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Once you have agreed on the decision taken, assign execution roles and commit your organization to the action. Hold yourself accountable to ensure there's appropriate follow-through.(Slide 10)

RAPID process

A simple overview of the RAPID process is as follows: The need for a critical decision is identified. The Recommend role determines who the Decision role will be, then the Recommend and Decision roles determine any other stakeholders and assign their roles. Recommend prepares their proposal, gets feedback from the Input role, then discusses their initial proposal with the Agree role. With input and agreement from the corresponding roles, Recommend takes their proposal to Decision. Decision then decides and communicates the action for the Perform role to execute.

Questions and answers

How does the RAPID Decision-making Model compare to other business decision-making frameworks?

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The RAPID Decision-making Model, developed by Bain, is unique in its approach to decision-making. Unlike other models that focus on a linear process, RAPID assigns roles to different individuals or groups for each part of the decision-making process. The acronym stands for Recommend, Agree, Perform, Input, and Decide. Each role has specific responsibilities and the model ensures that all perspectives are considered, leading to more effective and balanced decisions. However, it may not be suitable for all types of decisions or organizational structures.

Can you name a company that could benefit from the RAPID model and explain how?

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Any company that struggles with decision-making could benefit from the RAPID model. For example, a tech startup might be facing challenges in project turnaround times and hiring decisions. By implementing the RAPID model, they could clearly define who is Responsible for the decision, who needs to Agree to it, who should be consulted (Input), and who will do the final Decision. This could streamline their processes, reduce confusion, and improve efficiency.

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So for example, let's say you identify a workflow issue at your office. The graphic design team is backlogged and needs more of a runway to finish deliverables on time.

Determine who needs to make the decision on the solution, in this case, the project manager who assigns and schedules graphic design's timeline. Work with them to decide who will provide input and need to agree with your proposal. In this case, you'll need input from graphic design on what's a more reasonable runway, and agreement from the sales team so they can retool their promises to clients. Once you've identified the roles, workshop your proposal with the key stakeholders until you come up with the right solution, then take that to the decision-maker.

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What are common challenges in applying the RAPID decision-making model and how can they be overcome?

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Common challenges in applying the RAPID decision-making model include: unclear roles and responsibilities, lack of communication, and resistance to change. These can be overcome by clearly defining and communicating roles and responsibilities, fostering open communication, and managing change effectively.

What are the practical applications of the RAPID decision-making model in a business setting?

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The RAPID decision-making model, developed by Bain, has several practical applications in a business setting. It helps in assigning clear roles and responsibilities in the decision-making process, ensuring that the right people are involved at the right stages. For instance, the 'Recommend' role in the model is given to someone with broad visibility and access to relevant information, enabling them to make the best recommendation possible. This model also aids in effective decision-making and delivery, which can significantly contribute to a team's success.

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For instance, the decision could be a new three-week turnaround window for each new project should be enough to not get backlogged, and a new hire could provide a more sustainable, long-term solution. Management then decides whether or not to greenlight this proposal, and then commit the organization to the change. (Slide 7)

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"Recommend"

When assigning roles, it's important to only have one Recommend role. This role will have broad visibility and access to the most relevant information so that they can make the best recommendation possible. This is important both for Recommenders who propose solutions or initiatives, and Deciders who assign Recommenders to ensure a successful decision process. Without a good recommendation, it's impossible to make a good decision. (Slide 11)

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"Agree"

In contrast, Agree roles should be assigned sparingly. They are the most useful for situations where a legal or regulatory decision needs to be made, as these decisions will require external sign-off before moving forward. Also, keep in mind that Agree roles can veto the Recommend's ideas, but the Decision-maker is still the sole decider.

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How can the RAPID decision-making model be implemented in a company's operations?

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The RAPID decision-making model can be implemented in a company's operations by assigning clear roles and responsibilities. The model breaks down the decision-making process into five roles: Recommend, Agree, Perform, Input, and Decide. Each role has a specific function and responsibility in the decision-making process. The 'Recommend' role generates proposals based on their expertise. The 'Agree' role provides consent to the proposals. The 'Perform' role executes the decision. The 'Input' role provides valuable information and insights. The 'Decide' role makes the final decision. By clearly defining these roles within the company's operations, the decision-making process can become more streamlined and effective.

What are the main components of the RAPID decision-making model?

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The RAPID decision-making model, developed by Bain & Company, consists of five key roles:

1. Recommend: The person or team who analyzes the data and proposes a solution.

2. Agree: The person who must sign off on the decision before it's implemented.

3. Perform: The person or team who carries out the decision.

4. Input: People who provide relevant information and expertise.

5. Decide: The person who makes the final decision.

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If Agree changes their mind after an initial agreement, it becomes too late to change their mind. However, if an Agree role is assigned, they can't be ignored by the Recommend role. If they can't agree on a recommendation, then the Decider breaks the deadlock. (Slide 12)

"Perform" and "input"

While the Perform role is the least consequential to the decision-making process, the one executing an action typically will also have an Input role. In the case of our graphic design example, the creative team should be an Input as they are uniquely qualified to provide guidance on what is and is not a realistic solution.

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Those with knowledge, experience, or access to resources that are critical to the decision should also be consulted for Input. However, the number of Input roles should be limited to ensure a timely decision is made.(Slide 13-14)

Once the decision is made, an execution progress bar can create accountability and help keep an organization's commitment to the said decision in check. For more resources like this, check out our Task Tracker deck.