A Technique to Set Expectations for Decision Requests
COIN is a structured communication framework for anyone who needs to present a proposal, gain approval, or make a compelling request. It stands for Cause, Opportunity, Implications, and Next Steps.
Most requests fail not because the idea is bad, but because the person making the request leads with the wrong thing — jumping to the ask before establishing why it matters, or burying the resource requirements at the end after the decision-maker has already mentally moved on.
COIN forces discipline on both sides. For the person making the request, it requires thinking through the full picture before presenting it. For the leader receiving it, it provides a consistent structure that makes evaluation faster and fairer.
Each letter is its own section — presented separately and sequentially, not all at once.
Start with the problem or purpose you're addressing — not the solution. Why does this matter? What is the current state, and why is it worth changing? Be specific about what's driving the need. The goal is to make sure the decision-maker understands the "why" before they hear the "what."
Example: Our current invoice processing is slow and causes invoices to not be paid within our committed timeframe. Three factors are driving this: too many steps in the approval process, DOA criteria set too low creating bottlenecks, and no notification alerts for past-due approvals.
How will addressing this cause move things in the right direction? What specifically becomes possible? Quantify it where you can — time saved, revenue protected, risk reduced, quality improved. This section answers the question: "So what?" for the decision-maker.
Example: Resolving these three issues means we can process invoices 1.5 times faster per day and eliminate the bottlenecks that currently delay approval by an average of four days.
What will this require? Be direct about budget, people, time, and any trade-offs. This is where many requests fall apart — requestors either omit the real cost or bury it. State it clearly and early. Decision-makers respect honesty here far more than surprises later.
Example: If approved, we need $50K in budget, 50% of Tom, Joe, and Elaine's time for three weeks, and IT support as needed. Outputs include a DOA policy revision and updates to the invoice approval system.
What happens immediately if this is approved? Don't leave the decision-maker to figure out the path forward — give them a short, concrete list of what execution looks like. This signals that you've thought it through and reduces the friction between approval and action.
Example: Schedule a kickoff with key stakeholders, capture policy revisions for approval, implement process enhancements to the approval system, and develop a communication plan.
The core technique stays the same — but how you apply it shifts depending on your role, your team, and your environment. Select your context below.
Senior leaders and board members often have limited time and high context, they don't need background, they need signal. When using COIN in an executive presentation, lead with the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) before you walk through the four letters. One sentence: what you're requesting and why it matters. Then use COIN as the supporting structure. For complex proposals, consider presenting each COIN letter as its own slide or section, with detailed backup materials available but not defaulted to. The goal is a decision in the room — not a follow-up meeting to review what you could have said the first time.
In technical project environments where decisions carry significant cost, safety, and schedule implications, COIN's Implications section deserves extra depth. Don't summarize resource needs, enumerate them specifically: crew time, equipment, materials, regulatory touchpoints, and downstream schedule impact. Decision-makers in these environments are accustomed to risk registers and cost-benefit frameworks, so treat the Implications section as the technical heart of your COIN, not a formality. The Cause section should also address regulatory or contractual drivers where applicable, since those carry weight that internal business cases alone may not.
For PMs, COIN is most powerful at project initiation and at scope change requests. These are the two moments where poorly structured communication causes the most downstream damage. When a stakeholder asks for something new mid-project, require them to frame it as a COIN request before it goes to the change control board. This shifts the burden of clarity to the requestor, reduces scope creep driven by vague asks, and creates a documented record of why each change was approved or denied.
If you're early in a leadership role, COIN does two things at once. First, it structures your own requests, and second, it gives you a framework to coach your team immediately. Start by using it yourself on every request you bring to your manager. Once you've seen how it works from the inside, introduce it to your team as the standard format for bringing proposals to you. The faster your team learns COIN, the less time you spend in meetings asking follow-up questions that should have been answered before the meeting started.
"Over time, coaching your team to use COIN doesn't just improve proposals — it changes how they think. They start asking "what's the cause?" before they bring anything to you. That shift in thinking is worth more than any single approved request."
A one-page reference formatted to share with your leadership team, plus weekly tools and techniques to help you lead through uncertainty.
"*" indicates required fields
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Your information is never sold or shared.
PowerPlays are the techniques Bill teaches in his keynotes, workshops, and executive coaching engagements with organizations across the country.
The Persimmon Group
888.392.7101
Copyright © 2026 Bill Fournet. All Rights Reserved.