Dan Heath WRAP Decision Framing

A 45 minute Dan Heath decision routine based on the WRAP model to evaluate major choices, remove bias, and set future tripwires.

4 time blocks, 45 minutes in total.

Time blocks

Widen Your Options: 10 min
List alternative choices and consider opportunity costs
Reality Test Assumptions: 15 min
Gather counter evidence and run small experiments
Attain Distance Before Deciding: 10 min
Apply the 10 10 10 rule and check core priorities
Prepare to Be Wrong: 10 min
Set lower and upper tripwires with a premortem

About this routine

In their book Decisive, authors Chip Heath and Dan Heath outline four common villains of decision making: narrow framing, confirmation bias, short-term emotion, and overconfidence. To counteract these mental traps, they created the WRAP framework. Following a Dan Heath decision routine allows leaders and individuals to systematically widen options, test assumptions, distance emotional pressure, and prepare for unexpected outcomes.

This sequence takes you through each stage of the WRAP framework in 45 minutes. You start by expanding your choices beyond binary whether-or-not decisions. Next, you actively search for disconfirming evidence and run small tests. You then create perspective using time-based questions, before finishing with a premortem and tripwires to catch future failure early.

Why this routine works

Eliminates narrow whether-or-not framing by uncovering alternative options
Counters confirmation bias by intentionally searching for disconfirming data
Reduces short-term emotion using 10-10-10 perspective framing
Establishes explicit tripwires to trigger re-evaluation if plans fail

FAQ

What is Dan Heath's WRAP decision process?

WRAP stands for Widen your options, Reality-test your assumptions, Attain distance before deciding, and Prepare to be wrong. It is a structured framework from Dan and Chip Heath's book Decisive.

How long does a Dan Heath decision session take?

This structured WRAP exercise takes 45 minutes to complete, dedicating focused time to each of the four stages.

When should I run a WRAP decision audit?

Use this structured sequence whenever you face a high stakes choice, strategic pivot, career decision, or major expenditure.

Sources

Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work, Chip Heath and Dan Heath
How to Make Better Decisions, Harvard Business Review