Weighted Scoring Model Protocol

A structured protocol for making multi-criteria decisions by scoring and weighting the factors that matter. Step 1 — List all criteria that matter for this decision (e.g., for a job offer: salary, growth potential, commute, culture, mission alignment). Step 2 — Weight each criterion from 1-10 based on its importance to you (salary = 8, culture = 9, commute = 4). Step 3 — Score each option on each criterion from 1-10 (Job A: salary 7, culture 8, commute 3; Job B: salary 5, culture 9, commute 9). Step 4 — Multiply each score by its weight and sum across criteria for each option (Job A: 56+72+12=140; Job B: 40+81+36=157). Step 5 — Compare totals. Step 6 — Gut check: Does the winner feel right? If not, your weights are wrong — adjust them and re-run. The gut-check step is essential: the model's purpose isn't to make the decision for you but to reveal what you actually value.

When to use it

Comparing multiple options across multiple dimensions: job offers, vendor selection, apartment hunting, college choice, hiring decisions, product prioritization. Especially useful when each option is best on a different dimension and you feel stuck comparing apples to oranges.

How it can help

Converts vague 'this feels better' intuitions into explicit, comparable numbers. The weighting step alone is transformative — most people discover they've been agonizing over a factor they don't actually care that much about. The gut-check step is the secret power: when the mathematical winner feels wrong, that discomfort reveals hidden priorities you haven't articulated. Takes 15-30 minutes for most decisions.