DR-301h · Module 2

Framing Recommendations

3 min read

A recommendation is the bridge between intelligence and action. It must be specific (not "consider adjusting pricing" but "reduce mid-market pricing 12% before Q3 renewals"), ownable (someone specific is responsible for the action), time-bound (the action has a deadline or a decision window), and reversible or irreversible (the executive should know whether this can be undone). A recommendation missing any of these four attributes will be acknowledged and not acted on. Acknowledged-but-not-acted-on is the most common failure mode for intelligence briefs.

Do This

  • Make the recommendation specific enough that someone could execute it without further clarification
  • Name the owner — "CLOSER should adjust pricing" not "pricing should be adjusted"
  • Include a deadline or decision window — "before Q3 renewals" not "soon"
  • Note reversibility — a reversible action carries less decision risk than an irreversible one

Avoid This

  • Recommend vaguely — "consider the competitive implications" is not a recommendation
  • Leave ownership implicit — an unowned recommendation is an unexecuted recommendation
  • Omit timing — without a deadline, recommendations enter the permanent backlog
  • Present only one option — executives want choices, not mandates, from intelligence