The SOS Model
Evaluate your decisions from three vital perspectives
Evaluate your decisions from three vital perspectives
When you’re under pressure and need to make a decision, it’s easy to get stuck in your own head - or pulled in a dozen different directions by competing priorities. The SOS model helps you pause, zoom out, and evaluate your decision from three vital perspectives:
When’s the best time to use this tool?
How to use:
Step 01: Grab a pen and paper (or a digital doc).
Step 02: Write your decision or dilemma at the top.
Step 03: Create three columns: Self, Others, System.
In each column, ask yourself:
Step 04: Look for insights or trade-offs. What becomes clearer when you see the full picture?
Why we love it:
The SOS model is a deceptively simple decision-making lens that invites a holistic view. It balances short- and long-term thinking, surfaces assumptions, and broadens your field of awareness - without drowning you in complexity.
Good decisions consider more than just what’s easiest or fastest - they balance personal needs, people impact, and systemic consequences.
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