Terence Cushing Adopts 'Record-First' Decision Rule

New personal policy aims to improve judgment and protect time

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Terence Cushing, a Senior Corporate Counsel at Republic Services in Phoenix, Arizona, is adopting a new personal decision-making policy he calls the 'Record-First Rule'. The rule requires Cushing to first document the facts, sources, and tradeoffs before acting on any claim, request, or 'urgent' idea. Cushing says this discipline, honed over nearly two decades in complex civil litigation and corporate legal work, will help reduce noise, improve judgment, and protect his time.

Why it matters

Cushing's new policy comes as the information and risk environments are becoming increasingly challenging, with half of U.S. adults getting news from social media, rising concerns about inaccuracy, and sharp increases in data breaches and ransomware attacks. The Record-First Rule is designed to combat these trends by slowing down knee-jerk reactions, reducing 'decision debt', and making hidden risks more visible.

The details

Under the Record-First Rule, Cushing will follow a short routine before making any major decision: capturing the claim in one sentence, listing what is known versus assumed, identifying trusted sources, writing down the tradeoffs, deciding, and logging the reason. This process is meant to solve three common failure points - slowing down the wrong kind of urgency, reducing repeat debates, and making hidden assumptions visible.

  • Cushing announced the new policy on February 13, 2026.

The players

Terence Cushing

A Senior Corporate Counsel at Republic Services in Phoenix, Arizona, with nearly two decades of experience in complex civil litigation and corporate legal work.

Republic Services

An American waste management company where Terence Cushing serves as a Senior Corporate Counsel.

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What they’re saying

“Complex civil litigation teaches a certain kind of discipline. It trains attention. It rewards those who can sit with uncertainty and keep moving. Respect for the record and respect for clarity. Preparation and precision.”

— Terence Cushing

What’s next

Cushing plans to measure the success of the Record-First Rule using metrics like rework rate, time-to-clarity, source quality, escalations avoided, and consistency in high-stakes decisions.

The takeaway

Cushing's new decision-making policy reflects a growing need for professionals and households to combat information overload, misinformation, and cyber risks by slowing down, documenting facts, and making assumptions visible before taking action.