The diagnostic — Arche Advisory

01

Vision clarity

Whether the future state is real, shared, and still the one you want.

If your three most senior people described where the company will be in three years, how close would the answers be?

Near-identical Same direction, different specifics Noticeably different I would rather not find out

Can you state the future state in one sentence, without preparing it first?

Yes, and I could do it now Roughly, after a couple of attempts Only with notes in front of me Not really

When did you last change the vision because it had stopped matching what you actually wanted?

Within the last year Two or three years ago Never, it has always been the same We have never had one clear enough to change

02

Values alignment

Whether what you say you believe survives contact with a decision.

Think of the last decision where the profitable option and the right-feeling option pointed different ways. Which won?

The right-feeling one, and I would do it again The right-feeling one, and it cost us The profitable one, and it still sits badly I cannot recall the two ever diverging

Where are your values written down, and when did one of them last change a decision?

Written down, and one changed a decision recently Written down, but they rarely come up Understood but never written We have not defined them

How much of what your company rewards would you defend to a room of your customers?

All of it Most of it Some of it would be awkward I would rather not have that conversation

03

Ownership

Whether the work belongs to your people or is on loan from you.

If you were unreachable for three months, what would stall?

Very little; the team would keep going Some decisions would wait Most major decisions would wait Almost everything

Do your leaders bring you decisions to make, or decisions they have already made?

Already made; they inform me Mostly made; they check with me They bring options for me to choose from They bring problems for me to solve

When your team describes their role, do they describe a job or a stake?

A stake, consistently Some describe a stake, some a job Mostly a job A job, and a narrow one

04

Strategy

Whether the choices are real choices, and whether anyone else can name them.

Can you name who you deliberately do not serve?

Yes, clearly, and we turn that work away Roughly, though we bend sometimes Not really; we take what comes We serve anyone who will pay

How long do you run a set of activities before checking whether they are working?

Weeks; there is a set rhythm About a quarter A year or so Until something breaks

Ask two leaders why the company does what it does. Would you get the same answer?

The same answer The same theme, different words Noticeably different answers I doubt they would answer at all

05

Process and technology

Whether the machinery serves the strategy or predates it.

Were your processes designed for the current strategy, or did they accumulate?

Designed for it, and reviewed since Designed once, never revisited Mostly accumulated Accumulated, and nobody owns them

Name a process you would remove tomorrow if nobody objected. Why is it still there?

Nothing comes to mind; they all earn their place One or two, and I know why they persist Several, and I have stopped counting Many, and removing them feels impossible

Was your last technology purchase driven by a defined process need, or by a demonstration?

A defined process need A need, shaped by what was available A demonstration that impressed us Pressure not to fall behind

06

Cadence and drift

Whether the rhythm runs on its own, and whether anything catches drift.

Does the operating rhythm run without you chasing it?

Yes, it runs on its own Mostly, with occasional nudges It needs regular pushing It only runs when I push

What checks that what is being built still matches where you are going?

A defined review, on a set cadence An informal check, usually by me We notice when something drifts badly Nothing formal

Answer as things actually are, not as you would like them to be.