| name | Diagnose Organization |
| description | Help diagnose organizational challenges using systems thinking and established frameworks. Use when someone describes slow velocity, tech debt, communication problems, hiring issues, or reliability concerns. |
Approach
1. Understand the Symptoms
Ask:
- How are you measuring this?
- When did it start?
- What's changed since then?
- Who else sees this problem?
2. Look for System Structure
- What stocks are accumulating or depleting?
- What feedback loops are at play?
- Where are the delays?
- What's the dominant dynamic?
3. Apply Relevant Frameworks
Consider:
- Technical Coherence: Is org structure misaligned with product architecture?
- Trunk and Branches: Is infrastructure over/under-centralized?
- Staff Archetypes: Is there a mismatch between roles and needs?
4. Test Hypotheses
- What would need to be true for this diagnosis to be correct?
- What evidence would disconfirm it?
- Who could validate this?
5. Identify Leverage Points
- Where can small changes produce large effects?
- What's the highest-leverage intervention?
- What are the second-order effects?
Output
A diagnosis should include:
- Clear statement of the core challenge
- Evidence supporting the diagnosis
- Contributing factors
- Systemic dynamics at play
- Potential leverage points
- Questions that remain
Key Questions to Ask
- What does success look like?
- What have you already tried?
- What are the constraints?
- Who has the power to change this?
- What's the cost of doing nothing?
