No templates to fill out, and no one-size-fits-all operating system. Instead, a tested framework that requires deep qualitative and quantitative investigation into the root cause of the problem, and a realistic assessment of how the organization can fix it as quickly as possible.

1. 1

   Diagnose deeply

   Get to core issues

   1. 1.1Are they operational or strategic?
   2. 1.2If strategic: is it environmental (customer behavior or value chain change) or competitive dynamic?
   3. 1.3If operational: is it people or process/systems?
   4. 1.4How much time (and cash) do you have to fix?
   5. 1.5Realistic assessment of company’s core skills and resources
2. 2

   Develop strategic solution to directly solve the core issue

   High level policy

3. 3

   Build out step by step execution plan

   1. 3.1Steps need to compound
   2. 3.2Checkpoints/feedback points to confirm the policy: how much can be prototyped and tested vs. one way door decisions
4. 4

   Align resources, focus company leadership, reduce other priorities

5. 5

   Mistakes to watch for

   1. 5.1Dressing up goals as strategy
   2. 5.2Mistaking a strategic issue with an operational one
   3. 5.3Unrealistic timeline or skills/resources match
   4. 5.4Waiting too long to address
   5. 5.5Refusing to choose/truly prioritize
   6. 5.6Fill in templates vs. debate/judgment/discussion