ASSESS
Week 1–2
Before you can fix anything, you have to see it clearly. The Assess phase is a full operational diagnostic — not a survey, not a vibe check. A structured, evidence-based look at how your company actually operates versus how you think it operates.
Key Deliverable
A complete Operational Diagnostic Report with gap analysis, priority matrix, and a 90-day action roadmap.
Modules
The building blocks of the assess phase.
Operational Diagnostic
Where are the gaps?
A structured assessment of your operational maturity across 8 dimensions: strategy execution, process discipline, decision velocity, talent alignment, data infrastructure, communication cadence, accountability systems, and continuous improvement.
Common Mistake
Running a survey instead of doing the work. Surveys tell you what people think. Diagnostics show you what actually happens.
What Good Looks Like
A well-run diagnostic takes 5-7 working days and includes direct observation, data analysis, and structured interviews — not just a questionnaire.
Decision Architecture Audit
Who decides what, and how fast?
Map every recurring decision to its decision-maker, the information required, the typical cycle time, and the escalation path. Identify bottlenecks, orphaned decisions, and authority gaps.
Common Mistake
Assuming the org chart reflects how decisions actually get made. It almost never does.
What Good Looks Like
High-performing companies can make 80% of operational decisions within 48 hours. If yours take weeks, the architecture is broken.
Data Infrastructure Assessment
What do you measure, and can you trust it?
Audit your metrics, dashboards, and reporting systems. Are you measuring what matters? Is the data accurate? Do the people who need it actually have access to it? Is anyone acting on it?
Common Mistake
Measuring everything and acting on nothing. Dashboards that nobody looks at are worse than no dashboards — they create a false sense of visibility.
What Good Looks Like
You should be able to answer 'How is the business doing right now?' in under 60 seconds with data you trust.
Cash & Resource Visibility
Do you actually know your position?
Assess your real-time visibility into cash position, resource allocation, capacity utilization, and runway. Most scaling companies have a dangerous gap between reported and actual numbers.
Common Mistake
Relying on monthly financial close as your primary visibility mechanism. By the time you see the numbers, the problems are 30 days old.
What Good Looks Like
Weekly cash position reporting with 13-week rolling forecasts. If you can't produce this today, that's your first fix.
People & Org Clarity
Are roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines clear?
Map actual reporting relationships, identify role ambiguity, assess span of control, and evaluate whether your organizational structure supports or hinders your strategy.
Common Mistake
Confusing titles with roles. A 'VP of Operations' who actually does project management isn't a VP of Operations — and everyone knows it except the org chart.
What Good Looks Like
Every person should be able to clearly articulate: what they own, who they report to, who reports to them, and how their work connects to company objectives.
From the Field
“At a PE portfolio company, the Assess phase revealed that 73% of operational decisions required CEO approval — creating a bottleneck that added 4-7 days to every process. The diagnostic made the invisible visible.”
Download the Assess Phase Checklist
A step-by-step checklist to guide you through the assess phase. Includes templates, frameworks, and evaluation criteria.
Related Reading
Articles from the playbook that connect to this phase.