Diagnostics
Rigour before commitment.
Diagnostics are used to reduce ambiguity where the cost of error is real — giving leaders a structured view of what is happening, what is driving it, and what decisions are now required.
Optional • Context-dependent • Designed to de-risk serious decisions
What diagnostics are
- A discipline, not a product
- A way to make judgement examinable
- Structure for decisions made under pressure
- Used selectively, after fit is established
Tools come after trust. The purpose is clarity — not complexity.
What this enables
Senior leaders rarely suffer from lack of intelligence or effort. They suffer from misdiagnosis — confusing symptoms for causes, mistaking activity for progress, or delaying trade-offs until the environment forces them.
Diagnostics exist to interrupt that pattern calmly and credibly, so the next decision is cleaner.
What becomes clear
- the actual problem — separate from noise and narrative
- the constraints shaping behaviour and decisions
- where accountability is drifting or stuck
- what is being avoided — and why
- the trade-offs that must now be owned
What becomes possible
- faster, more defensible decisions
- clear language for what is really happening
- alignment at the top without performative consensus
- reduced risk of costly rework and reversal
- more coherent leadership presence under scrutiny
This is about decision quality, not “insight” for its own sake.
How it works
A short, structured engagement.
Diagnostics are designed to be practical. They do not create a report for the sake of a report. They create a clearer decision landscape — and a disciplined basis for what happens next.
- Context intake (what’s at stake, time horizon, constraints)
- Structured interviews (leaders close to the decisions)
- Decision and accountability mapping
- Pressure patterns: avoidance, over-control, false certainty
- Findings synthesis (what’s true, what’s assumed, what’s missing)
- A concise readout with implications and next steps
The diagnostic is tailored to the situation. The aim is precision, not theatre.
Typical diagnostic uses
This is not a menu. These are common patterns where a diagnostic reduces risk and improves decision quality.
Decision Quality Review
When leadership decisions are becoming slower, noisier, or less defensible under pressure.
- decision patterns and criteria
- assumptions and constraints
- where responsibility is blurred
Leadership Alignment Scan
When the top team is “aligned” in words but divergent in behaviour, priorities, or risk appetite.
- shared intent vs lived reality
- tensions avoided or unmanaged
- accountability and ownership
Scale & Consequence Assessment
When growth decisions (capital, structure, hires, pace) are creating second-order consequences.
- capacity and capability gaps
- risk and pace trade-offs
- what must change first
What you receive
The output is designed to be usable — not academic.
Concise diagnostic readout
- what is true vs what is assumed
- what is driving behaviour under pressure
- the trade-offs now required
- decision implications and risks
Next-step recommendation
- the simplest path forward
- what to do immediately vs later
- where advisory support helps most
- where coaching becomes appropriate
Diagnostics do not “sell” deeper work. They clarify whether deeper work is warranted.
Good fit
- high-stakes decisions with real trade-offs
- complexity, scrutiny, or organisational drift
- leaders who want rigour, not reassurance
- situations where clarity reduces real risk
Not a fit
- generic team surveys or engagement exercises
- diagnostics used to justify a pre-made decision
- situations requiring operational consulting delivery
- low-consequence curiosity
If you already know what you want to do and only want validation, this is not the right tool.
Clarity first. Then commitment.
If you’re carrying a decision where ambiguity increases risk, request a conversation and share the context. If a diagnostic is the simplest next step, I’ll say so.
Diagnostics are optional and used selectively. The goal is disciplined thinking, not more activity.
To discuss a diagnostic
- Your role and organisation
- The decision context
- What is at stake
- Your time horizon
The clearer the stakes, the sharper the diagnostic.