The Decision Visibility Model (DVM)

How do you know if you made the best decision?

Four quick questions. No email. Only you see your answers.

Question 1 of 4

Think of one big decision you made in the last 60 days that cost real time or money.

At work or in your life. Like taking a job, hiring someone, buying a system, moving, or starting something new.

Question 2 of 4

Why did you make that decision?

Pick all that are true.

Question 3 of 4

How would you know if this wasn't the best decision?

Question 4 of 4

If you could do something now to check whether it was the best decision, would you do it?

Start a conversation

What the results mean

FunctioningYou're tracking the decision and writing things down. If something shifts, you'd see it right away.
FragileYou're relying on your feelings or someone else's observations to tell you if your decision was the right one. If something shifts, you may find out too late.
BlindYou don't have a way to know yet. If something shifts, you'll find out when something goes wrong.

You already decided. Can you see the decison?

Delegation is necessary. Surrender is not. Delegation says, "You may decide within these limits." Surrender says, "Something else is deciding, so I don't need to understand what happens." If you’re ready to stop surrendering your authority, book a call with me.

Book a Clarity Session

How It Works

  • Step 1

    Look back: What were you betting on? What did you expect, and what really happened?

  • Step 2

    Look at now: What are you working with (e.g., people, tools)? What can you verify?

  • Step 3

    Look ahead: What are you betting on now? Are you still solving the same problem ?

I'm Cheryl Abram, founder of Ypifany. I spent more than five years reviewing security on federal systems. Before that, I worked in training, social work, and program evaluation. Go to my About page for more if you’re interested.

In this process, I don't tell you what to decide. I help you tell the truth about what's really happening, so you can choose again.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You'll know what your decision depends on and how you'd notice early if it starts to drift. That changes how you spend your time and money. You stop putting more into something that isn't working, because you see it sooner. You spend less time second-guessing and fixing surprises. And when you do change course, it costs less, because you caught it while it was still small.

  • That's common, and it's where this helps most. The time and money are already spent either way. What matters is what you do next. We look at what you expected, what actually happened, and what you have now. Sometimes the answer is to keep going. Sometimes it's to change course. Sometimes it's to stop. Either way, you decide with clear eyes instead of hoping it turns around.

  • Owners and leaders who make big decisions that depend on people, tools, vendors, or AI they don't watch every day. That includes business owners, nonprofit directors, new leaders, and anyone rolling out AI. It also works for a big career or life decision. If your name is on the choice, it's for you.

  • Most frameworks help you make a choice and then stop. This one goes back and checks the way you were looking at the problem in the first place. Was it the right problem to solve? Does it still fit what you actually want? A good choice made inside the wrong picture can still take you somewhere you didn't mean to go.

    It also keeps going after you decide. It helps you notice early if things start to drift, and it works on decisions you've already made, not just new ones. It looks at what you handed off to a vendor, an expert, or AI, and the reasons you didn't say out loud. It doesn't grade you on right or wrong. It shows you what you can see now that you couldn't see before.

  • You're buying what you didn't have when you walked in:

    • Sight where you were blind. You'll see what your decision really depends on, including the parts you couldn't see before.

    • Knowledge where there was none. You'll know what's actually happening, not just what you hoped would happen.

    • Options where you saw only one. When you look at the problem a new way, choices show up that weren't there before.

    • A plan where you had none. You'll know what to watch, when to look again, and what you'll do if things shift.

    • A next step where you were stuck. You'll leave knowing whether to keep going, change course, or stop, and what to do first.

    • A short written decision record. It captures what you're betting on, what you'll track, and when you'll look again. You can share it with a partner, a board, or your team.

  • It feels like a conversation, not an assessment. I ask a lot of questions, and most of them are simple ones nobody has asked you yet. Why did you choose this? What were you counting on? How would you know if it stopped working?

    There's no blame and no grading. I'm not here to tell you that you were right or wrong. I'm here to help you see what's actually going on. I'll be honest with you, even when it's not what you hoped to hear, and I'll do it with respect.

    I speak plainly. You don't need to know any special terms, and you won't leave with a pile of jargon. You'll leave seeing your situation more clearly than when you came in, and knowing what you want to do about it.