02 | Mastering strategy: Laying the foundations for a coherent diagnosis

2️⃣ ✨ 🚀 This is the 2nd article of my series on mastering strategy!

In my previous article, I’ve laid out the core elements for a successful strategy from my perspective. Now, we dive deeper into the first – and most important – element: the art of creating a coherent diagnosis.

Just as a doctor assesses symptoms to diagnose an illness accurately, a successful strategist must identify the root causes of business challenges to prescribe the most effective solutions.

AI-generated image of a doctor making a diagnosis based on company data

In this article, we fill focus on laying the foundations to creating a coherent diagnosis, i.e. how to tackle the required research. We will cover

1. the importance of research for a coherent diagnosis,
2. tipps to balance research effort and insights,
3. factors to consider for your diagnosis, and
4. the role of frameworks for the diagnosis.

Let’s go! 🚀

Coherent diagnosis requires good research

👨🏼‍🏫 To counter the “I already know what I’m doing” attitude of managers, my mentor likes to quote W. Edwards Deming. And I think he’s right.

Without data you are just another person…