Decision Log Workflow That Survives Leadership Turnover

Category: Academy · Stage: Alignment

By Max Beech, Head of Content

Updated 6 July 2025 · Expert review: [PLACEHOLDER: Chief of Staff, Chaos]

Why it matters: When leaders rotate, undocumented decisions become folklore. McKinsey’s State of AI 2024 found 60% of organisations have embedded AI into at least one business unit, yet many still rely on hallway conversations for governance.^[1]^ A decision log workflow in Chaos captures rationale, data and consequences so successors can move fast without repeating debates.

      - Why do you need a decision log workflow?

      - How do you build the decision log workflow in Chaos?

      - How do you keep the decision log workflow current?

    

  
  
    

TL;DR

      - Record every strategic decision with rationale, alternatives, stakeholders and expected outcomes.

      - Link decisions to related projects, handoffs and compliance artefacts so context travels automatically.

      - Review the log weekly and flag follow-up actions to keep momentum alive.

    

  
  

Decision entries show rationale, owners, evidence and linked actions inside Chaos.

Why do you need a decision log workflow?

Decision debt compounds like technical debt. Without a log, new leaders revisit old debates, waste budget and erode trust. A decision log workflow aligned with the cross-functional handoff template keeps strategy, execution and compliance marching in sync.

Case story (hypothetical): When a VP of Product exited a SaaS scale-up, the replacement used the decision log to see why roadmap bets shifted to enterprise. Because the log linked to financial models and customer interviews, the new VP skipped discovery loops and accelerated partner launches.

How do you build the decision log workflow in Chaos?

Template the key fields

Create a Chaos template with fields for decision statement, drivers, alternatives considered, risk rating, and review date. Attach supporting docs and link to related workspaces: compliance roadmap, data hygiene checklist, or GTM tracker.

Automate notifications and follow-through

When a decision is published, Chaos alerts stakeholders by channel and prompts for acceptance. Schedule follow-up reminders so owners report outcomes or adjust scope. Use tags like “Needs review” or “Superseded” to keep the log tidy.

          Decision
          Owner
          Review cadence
        
      
      
        
          Launch enterprise pricing tier
          VP Revenue
          Quarterly ARR review
        
        
          Adopt AI risk tiering framework
          Head of Legal
          Biannual compliance audit
        
        
          Deprioritise Android launch
          Product Council
          Review after Android beta metrics
        
        
          Outsource localisation
          COO
          Annual vendor audit
        
      
    
    The decision log workflow clarifies ownership and review cadence so choices stay living, not static.
  
  

Expose decisions where work happens

Embed recent decisions in team dashboards, project updates and the onboarding playbook. This keeps new hires and external partners aligned without separate training sessions.

How do you keep the decision log workflow current?

Assign a steward—often Chief of Staff or PMO—to audit the log weekly. Close the loop on outcomes, archive obsolete entries and escalate decisions stuck without owners. During leadership transitions, export the log, attach to the handoff template, and brief successors in one sitting.

Key takeaways

      - A decision log workflow keeps leadership context centralised and searchable.

      - Automated reminders ensure actions linked to decisions actually happen.

      - Embedding decisions in onboarding and dashboards makes transitions painless.

    

  
  
    

Next steps

      - List the last ten strategic decisions and capture who made them and why.

      - Build the Chaos template and backfill evidence for those decisions.

      - Introduce a weekly audit to mark outcomes and archive superseded choices.

    

  
  
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