Stop guessing and decide faster with the four‑question clarity memo

A department’s weekly meeting had become a swamp. People debated in circles, and nothing moved. The director tried a small change. Before anyone could bring an issue, they had to submit a one‑page memo that answered four questions: What is the problem? What causes it? What are all possible solutions? What do you recommend?

At first there were groans. But after two weeks, something shifted. One manager wrote, “The problem is late deliveries to our main client.” Causes included unclear handoffs and ad‑hoc requests. Possible solutions ranged from a new software tool to a single checklist. The recommendation was modest: a two‑week trial of a shared checklist posted by 9 a.m. The team adopted it, and late deliveries dropped by 60% within a month.

Another manager realized her “low morale” issue was actually about weird meeting times and no recognition. Solutions included a meeting time change, rotating facilitators, and a Friday five‑minute shout‑out round. They chose all three and tracked attendance and survey comments. Morale wasn’t fixed overnight, but people stopped rolling their eyes in the hallway.

The memo worked because it forced everyone to separate facts from feelings and to move from complaining to choosing. In cognitive terms, it reduces ambiguity and decision fatigue by structuring attention. It also makes trade‑offs explicit, which quiets hidden fears. The biggest surprise? The meeting got shorter, and people left with names and dates on the calendar, not just opinions.

Create a one‑page decision brief before your next meeting. Write a single, clear problem sentence, then list root causes using a few “why” questions to avoid symptoms. Generate options that include a small, testable move and a bolder path, then pick one and assign a next step with a date and owner. Share it so others react to substance, not hunches. You’ll feel the room relax when choices are concrete and someone owns the first move. Try it on your stickiest issue this week.