Write a five-sentence brief: We need to decide [verb]; by [date]; because [event]; under [cash/legal/team constraints]; to preserve [objective]. Insist on at least three options, including the status quo, a narrower experiment, and a third path. Differentiate an objective from a predetermined answer; if the team already wants “hire a VP”, redefine the question as “how can we make sales repeatable?”.
Deliverables: scope statement, three-option matrix, explicit excluded choices. Pitfall: creating a straw-man alternative to legitimise the preferred decision.