One-Way vs Two-Way Door Decisions: When to Move Fast, When to Deliberate

The Decision-Making Bottleneck

Organizations slow down not because people lack information, but because they can't distinguish between decisions that require deep deliberation and decisions that can be made quickly and reversed if wrong.

I learned Amazon's "One-Way vs. Two-Way Door" framework during my AWS tenure, and it's transformed how I lead teams. This simple mental model dramatically accelerates execution.

The Framework Explained

Two-Way Door Decisions (Type 2)

These are reversible decisions. Like walking through a door that swings both ways—if you don't like what's on the other side, you can walk back through.

Examples:

• Testing a new marketing campaign (you can pause it)
• Adjusting team meeting frequency (easily changed)
• Trying new sales collateral (revert to old version if needed)
• Piloting a new CRM workflow (can be disabled)

Decision Rule: Move fast. Use 70% of available information.

One-Way Door Decisions (Type 1)

These are consequential and difficult to reverse. Walking through fundamentally changes your position.

Examples:

• Sunsetting a major product line
• Organizational restructuring
• Selling a business unit
• Major technology platform migrations
• Entering a new regulated market

Decision Rule: Deliberate carefully. Gather extensive data. Build consensus.

Why This Framework Matters

Most organizations treat Two-Way Door decisions with One-Way Door process. The result? Paralysis.

I've watched teams spend three weeks debating whether to change the format of a weekly report (Two-Way Door) while rushing into a restructuring plan in two days (One-Way Door). The framework prevents both problems.

Applying the Framework: A Case Study

At AWS, my team needed to redesign our demand generation approach. We could have spent months deliberating, or we could categorize decisions appropriately:

By categorizing decisions this way, we moved 60% faster on Two-Way Door items while being appropriately thorough on One-Way Door decisions. The result: 150% of revenue goals with fewer organizational conflicts.

How to Implement in Your Organization

Step 1: Train Your Team on the Framework

In every strategic meeting, explicitly ask: "Is this a One-Way Door or Two-Way Door decision?" This question alone transforms discussions.

Step 2: Push Decision-Making Down

Empower individuals and teams to make Two-Way Door decisions without escalation. Reserve your time for One-Way Door decisions that require senior judgment.

Step 3: Celebrate Fast Reversals

When someone makes a Two-Way Door decision that doesn't work and reverses quickly, celebrate it. This reinforces that speed plus learning beats slow perfection.

Step 4: Create Decision Documentation

For One-Way Door decisions, require written decision memos that articulate:

• The decision being made
• Why it's a One-Way Door
• Data considered
• Alternatives evaluated
• Expected outcomes and success metrics

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Treating Everything as One-Way Door

Risk-averse cultures label everything consequential. This creates decision bottlenecks and stifles innovation. Ask: "What's truly irreversible about this?"

Mistake 2: Treating One-Way Doors as Two-Way Doors

Move-fast cultures sometimes rush consequential decisions. Before proceeding, ask: "If this doesn't work, how painful is the reversal?"

Mistake 3: Not Explicitly Labeling Decisions

The framework only works if teams explicitly categorize decisions. Make it part of your leadership vocabulary.

The Leadership Impact

This framework does two things simultaneously:

1. Accelerates execution on the majority of decisions (which are Two-Way Doors)
2. Improves quality on consequential decisions by focusing time where it matters

In my experience leading global teams, this framework reduced escalations by 40% while improving decision quality on strategic initiatives. People felt empowered on day-to-day choices and properly supported on complex decisions.