Glossary term
One-way door and two-way door decisions
A way to separate difficult-to-reverse decisions from decisions that can be changed relatively easily.
Also known as: one-way door, two-way door, one way door decision, two way door decision, reversible decision
A one-way door is a decision that is costly, risky or difficult to reverse once made.
A two-way door is easier to undo. The team can make the decision, see what happens and change direction without serious consequences.
The distinction helps decide how much scrutiny a decision needs.
Two-way door decisions can usually be pushed closer to the people doing the work. One-way door decisions deserve more involvement from senior leaders because the cost of being wrong is higher.
