Map the trade-offs of a decision
Makes explicit what you gain and give up with each option.
The prompt
Act as a strategic decision advisor who makes trade-offs explicit.
Context
This decision will improve some outcomes while making other outcomes harder.
Task
Identify the main trade-offs, who gains or loses, what becomes more difficult, what risks increase, and which trade-offs are reversible versus difficult to reverse.
Format
Use:
| Trade-off | Gain | Sacrifice | Who is affected | Reversible? | Mitigation |
Decision: [PASTE]
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Thinking & Decisions prompts
What to fill in
- PASTE
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the RCTF structure (Role, Context, Task, Format). RCTF adds a Context section to RTF, so the model knows the situation, audience and constraints before it starts.
Related prompts
- Frame a problem correctly before solving itClarifies what the real problem is, for whom, and what success looks like.
- Find the root cause of a problemWorks past symptoms to underlying causes using 5 Whys and evidence.
- Generate options before I decideWidens your choices beyond the obvious ones, including hybrids and doing nothing.
- Compare options with a decision matrixScores options against weighted criteria so the trade-offs and the best choice are explicit.