Writing a proposal.

A guide for preparing a thought-through recommendation for a meeting.

When you bring a new idea or a problem to a meeting, it can be tempting to just turn up and ask the group what they think. However, this can lead to long, unstructured debates that drain time and energy.

This guide helps you work through your ideas before the meeting starts. By structuring your thoughts into a clear, one-page proposal, you can present a recommendation along with the other choices you considered. Your colleagues can immediately focus on reviewing your logic and making a firm decision.

Print Pages · single-sided Booklet · double-sided

Process.

A good proposal follows a predictable journey.

Title	Headline
Background	What happened before this?
Friction	What's the problem I need to fix?
Decision question	What exactly am I asking the group to decide?
Options considered	What are the choices?
Key requirements	What matters most here?
Pros and cons	How do the choices compare?
Recommendation	What is my recommended choice?
Why	Why does this option win?
Review triggers	When should we look at this again?
Next steps	What happens next?

Detailed explanations.

Background	What happened before this?
Explanation	Explain the history, how things got to this point. Include boundaries like budgets, deadlines, or legal constraints. Map out the current environment clearly.
What to ask yourself	What has changed recently to bring this to a head? Have you tried to fix this before? What are the fixed limits?

Friction	What's the problem I need to fix?
Explanation	Focus on the gap between where things are now and where they need to be. Clearly state the specific pressure point, inefficiency, or pain that makes a decision necessary.
What to ask yourself	What is the specific pain you are feeling? If you do absolutely nothing, what happens next?

Decision question	What exactly am I asking the group to decide?
Explanation	A clear, concrete question that forces a real choice. Aim for a high-level strategic question rather than a low-level task. For example, don't ask which software to buy; ask how to solve the underlying problem.
What to ask yourself	Start with "Should we…" or "How can we…"? Check: Am I accidentally just asking for permission on a minor task?

Detailed explanations.

Options considered	What are the choices?
Explanation	Lay out the genuine, distinct alternatives. Present at least two or three realistic and diverse paths, including the option of doing nothing.
What to ask yourself	What are three entirely different ways to solve this? What does "doing nothing" look like? Is there a more radical option I haven't considered?

Key requirements	What matters most here?
Explanation	These are the objective standards you are using to judge the options. Define what a "good" outcome looks like using criteria like cost, speed, quality.
What to ask yourself	What are the absolute non-negotiables (e.g., must cost less than £500, or must be done by Friday)? Do we value speed, cost, or quality more?

Pros and cons	How do the choices compare?
Explanation	Objectively score each alternative against your key requirements. Highlight the strengths, weaknesses, and trade-offs of each choice, to see where different options fall short.
What to ask yourself	How does each option hold up against the constraints? What do we give up if we choose a different option?

Recommendation	What is my recommendation?
Explanation	State your recommendation in one clear, short sentence. Do not sit on the fence or offer multiple answers. Use an active voice.
What to ask yourself	If I had to make this choice alone today, what exactly would I do?

Detailed explanations.

Why	Why does this option win?
Explanation	State the exact logic behind your recommendation. Show the deciding factor based on the requirements.
What to ask yourself	What was the ultimate deciding factor(s)? How do I explain this choice simply to someone who isn't in the meeting?

Review triggers	When should we look at this again?
Explanation	Name the specific signs, data changes, or dates that would show the decision isn't working as intended — and the ones that would show it has done its job. Either prompts a formal rethink: one to fix it, the other to stop.
What to ask yourself	What would have to happen for us to realise this choice was wrong? And if it works, what would tell us it has done enough? What specific conditions or metrics should we look out for, for both?

Next steps	What's still left to do?
Explanation	List the immediate tasks needed to kick-start your solution if the group approves your proposal.
What to ask yourself	Who will own the first actions? What is the very next task?

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