A Positive Regard · Sample Decision Brief

A $70,000 increase.
A bigger title.
Is it the right move?

A senior technology professional is considering a move from an established financial institution to a growing fintech. The offer is attractive. The role is less clear.

Fictional illustration. This is not a client case or testimonial. The facts, priorities, and analysis are invented to demonstrate the structure of a Career Decision Review. An actual brief would reflect the information discussed with you and the limits of what we know.

1. The situation

You are a technology director at an established financial institution, earning approximately $280,000 in annual compensation. You know the organization, have a supportive manager, and can usually protect your evenings.

Progression has slowed. You have been told a promotion may become available, but there is no agreed timeline or defined path.

A growing fintech has offered you a VP role with a $350,000 annual compensation package and additional equity. The position promises broader responsibility and greater visibility. It also involves travel and a mandate that remains loosely defined.

You want meaningful progression, but you do not want to exchange a frustrating plateau for an unsustainable role. Predictable time with your family remains a priority.

2. My read of the decision

The central question is not whether the new offer is more impressive. It is whether the new role provides the authority, support, and working conditions needed to make the additional responsibility worthwhile.

There are two separate pressures: you are drawn toward the new opportunity, and you are frustrated with the current one. We should examine both. Frustration can explain why you want movement without proving that this particular move is right.

The question I would keep in view: “Does this role move me toward the work and life I want—or does it mainly provide relief from feeling stuck?”

3. What matters most in this example

Based on the fictional intake, these are your stated priorities. They are not a universal ranking.

Meaningful authority. You want to shape decisions, rather than carry responsibility without the ability to act.
A credible progression path. You want experience that strengthens your next career options, not simply a different title.
Sustainable demands. Some additional pressure is acceptable. Regular disruption to family life is not.
Compensation you can rely on. Guaranteed income matters more to your planning than uncertain bonuses or illiquid equity.

4. Compare the actual options

A qualitative comparison using the fictional information available—not a scored prediction.
Consideration	Stay in the current role	Accept the fintech role
Compensation	Approximately $280,000. Familiar structure and payment history.	$350,000 headline package. Guaranteed and variable components need separating.
Scope and authority	Known responsibilities, but limited expansion.	Potentially broader scope. Decision rights and resources are not yet established.
Manager and sponsorship	Supportive manager with a known working style.	Positive interview experience. Day-to-day sponsorship remains untested.
Working demands	Generally predictable evenings.	Travel and availability expectations require clarification.
Progression	Possible promotion with no agreed timeline.	Immediate VP title. Longer-term value depends on the substance of the role.
Downside	Continued stagnation and growing frustration.	Greater uncertainty and a potentially difficult exit if the role is poorly designed.

A third option remains available: continue your search while testing whether the current employer can offer a specific, credible progression plan. You do not have to treat these two roles as your only choices.

5. Resolve these uncertainties before deciding

What authority comes with the accountability?

Ask which decisions you can make independently, what budget and headcount are available, and who resolves competing priorities. “Build the function” is not a sufficiently defined mandate.

What does success look like after twelve months?

Request three concrete outcomes. Check whether the expectations fit the available resources and whether the people assessing your performance agree.

What does travel mean in an ordinary month?

Ask about typical frequency, duration, notice, and exceptions. Compare that answer with your own acceptable limits.

How dependable is the compensation?

Separate base salary, target bonus, guaranteed payments, and equity. Do not treat the headline package as equivalent to guaranteed cash. Seek qualified advice on tax and equity terms where needed.

Why is the role open?

Understand whether this is a new investment, a replacement, or a response to unresolved problems. Ask to speak with a future peer about how the organization handles pressure and disagreement.

6. My provisional recommendation

Continue pursuing the opportunity, but do not accept it on the information currently available. The potential upside is credible enough to investigate; the mandate and working demands are too uncertain to endorse the move yet.

I would lean toward accepting if you establish clear authority, committed resources, realistic first-year expectations, and a travel pattern you can sustain.

If the employer remains vague about those points, I would lean toward declining and continuing your search. A larger title would not compensate for a role you cannot realistically succeed in.

7. What would change my view?

A defined progression opportunity at your current employer would strengthen the case for staying—particularly if it includes agreed responsibilities and a timeline.
Consistent evidence of strong sponsorship at the fintech would strengthen the case for moving.
A large variable component in the new package would reduce the apparent financial advantage.
Travel beyond your acceptable limit would weaken the fit, even if the career upside remains attractive.

8. Your next conversation

Request a focused discussion with the prospective manager. You could open with:

“I’m interested in the opportunity and want to make a thoughtful decision. Before committing, I’d like to clarify the decisions I would own, the resources available, what success would look like after twelve months, and the practical travel expectations. Could we work through those together?”

Afterwards, record the answers and identify anything still unresolved. Assess both the substance of the responses and the willingness to discuss reasonable questions openly.

9. The decision remains yours

My role is to help you see the decision more clearly, question assumptions, and prepare your next action. Your priorities determine which trade-offs are acceptable.

In this example, the useful next step is not an immediate yes or no. It is a better conversation that turns an attractive offer into an assessable role.

Your own decision

What are you weighing?

A Career Decision Review includes structured intake, review of agreed documents, a 45-minute conversation, a personal written brief, and one follow-up clarification. The fee is $795 USD.

Request a decision review

This fictional example does not guarantee an outcome or represent advice for your circumstances. Career advisory is separate from psychotherapy and does not provide legal, tax, or investment advice.