Framework
WRAP Framework
A four-step method for beating decision bias.
- Best for
- High-stakes choices where you might fool yourself
- Time needed
- 30–60 minutes
- Origin
- Chip and Dan Heath, from Decisive (2013).
WRAP stands for Widen options, Reality-test assumptions, Attain distance before deciding, Prepare to be wrong. It's designed to counter the four villains of decision-making: narrow framing, confirmation bias, short-term emotion, and overconfidence.
Use it when
- You've narrowed down to two options and one feels 'obvious'.
- You're deciding under emotional pressure.
- The choice is expensive, irreversible, or both.
Skip it when
- Small, reversible decisions — the overhead isn't worth it.
- You need to decide in the next hour (WRAP takes real time).
The steps
- 01
Widen your options
Force at least one more real alternative. Ask: 'what would I do if this option vanished?'
- 02
Reality-test assumptions
Look for disconfirming evidence. Talk to someone who's done it. Run a small test.
- 03
Attain distance
Ask 'what would I tell my best friend to do?' or '10-10-10: how will I feel in 10 minutes, 10 months, 10 years?'
- 04
Prepare to be wrong
Set a tripwire: 'if X happens by Y date, I'll reverse.'
A worked example
"Should I accept the job offer in a new city?"
Widen: staying, negotiating remote, or a 6-month trial. Reality-test: three conversations with people who moved for similar roles. Distance: 10-10-10 shows short-term dread, long-term upside. Prepare: tripwire — if partner isn't settled by month 9, reassess.
Outcome
Accept with a written 9-month checkpoint. Confidence higher, regret risk lower.
Where it quietly breaks
- Widening to fake options you'd never actually take.
- Reality-testing only with people who already agree with you.
- Skipping the tripwire — it's the whole point of 'prepare'.
Run this on a real decision — in Compass.
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