This check is designed to help leadership gain a clearer operational perspective across the core areas that influence focus, coordination, scalability and growth readiness. There are no right or wrong answers. Simply select the response that most accurately reflects the current reality of your business today. The process is intended to help identify: • where operational friction may be building • where priorities may be fragmented • where greater coordination or visibility may be needed • and where leadership focus may create the greatest leverage next

SECTION 1 — LEADERSHIP READINESS & CAPABILITY (Objective: Assess leadership clarity, alignment, capacity, accountability and discipline in directing operating improvement.) Expand

1. Leadership maintains clear agreement on the small number of operating and growth priorities that matter most. .

2. Significant decisions are guided by agreed priorities rather than immediate pressures or competing individual preferences.

3. Each major priority has clear leadership ownership, responsibility and an understood basis for measuring progress.

4. Leadership communicates priorities consistently so that people understand what matters and how their work contributes.

5. Leadership regularly reviews progress, resolves obstacles and adjusts priorities when business conditions or available capacity change.

SECTION 2 — DIGITAL FOUNDATIONS & AI READINESS ( Objective: Assess whether workflows, systems, data foundations, governance and people capability support responsible digital and AI use.) Expand

1. Important business workflows are understood, documented and followed consistently before technology or automation changes are introduced.

2.Existing digital systems reliably support essential work without excessive duplication, manual workarounds or disconnected information.

3. The data required for important operating decisions is sufficiently accurate, accessible and consistently maintained.

4. Responsibility for system access, information security, privacy and data handling is clearly assigned and regularly reviewed.

5. Digital, automation or AI initiatives require a defined business purpose, accountable ownership, human oversight and appropriate workforce readiness.

SECTION 3 — CORE OFFERING EXCELLENCE ( Objective: Assess the relevance, differentiation, quality and delivery consistency of the business’s core products or services.) Expand

1.The business clearly understands the customers it serves, their important needs and the outcomes they value.

2. The value and meaningful differentiation of the core offering can be clearly explained by leadership and customer-facing employees.

3. Quality and delivery standards for core products or services are defined and applied consistently.

4. Customer feedback and delivery experience are regularly reviewed and used to refine the core offering.

5. The business regularly reviews which products or services create the greatest customer and commercial value.

SECTION 4 — DATA-DRIVEN BUSINESS INSIGHTS ( Objective: Assess data quality, operational visibility, performance measurement and the disciplined use of evidence in decision-making.) Expand

1. The business has defined a focused set of operating measures that provide leadership with meaningful performance visibility.

2. Responsibility for collecting, maintaining and checking important business data is clearly assigned.

3.Leadership can access sufficiently current and reliable information without relying on extensive manual investigation.

4. Operating and performance information is reviewed through an established leadership rhythm rather than only when problems arise.

5. Significant decisions and follow-up actions are informed by available evidence and subsequently reviewed against actual results.

SECTION 5 — WORKFORCE ADAPTABILITY & EXECUTION CAPABILITY ( Objective: Assess role clarity, workforce capability, accountability, collaboration, change readiness and execution discipline.) Expand

1.Employees understand their responsibilities, decision authority and accountability for important operating outcomes.

2. The business regularly identifies the capabilities and skills required to deliver current priorities and future operating needs.

3. Relevant teams or functions use established routines to coordinate work, share information and resolve dependencies.

4. Operating changes are clearly communicated, with affected people given appropriate explanation, support and practical preparation.

5. Agreed actions have clear ownership and follow-up, with leadership addressing delays, obstacles or unclear accountability.

SECTION 6 — MARKET ACCESS & CUSTOMER GROWTH ( Objective: Assess customer acquisition, retention, market reach, channel effectiveness and customer relationships.) Expand

1. The business understands which sources and channels generate suitable customer opportunities and commercially valuable relationships.

2. The customer journey—from initial enquiry through delivery and ongoing support—is understood and managed consistently.

3. Responsibility for customer acquisition, retention and relationship quality is clearly assigned.

4. Appropriate indicators of customer retention, repeat business, satisfaction or relationship strength are consistently monitored.

5. Customer feedback and changing market conditions are regularly reviewed when deciding how to improve reach and engagement.

SECTION 7 — FINANCIAL AGILITY & RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ( Objective: Assess financial visibility, resilience, forecasting and the disciplined allocation of money, people and capacity.) Expand

1. Leadership has sufficiently current visibility of cash flow, costs, margins and other financial measures important to operating decisions.

2. Budgets and forecasts are maintained, compared with actual performance and adjusted when business conditions change.

3. Money, people and operating capacity are allocated according to agreed priorities rather than divided across too many initiatives.

4. Financial and operational capacity is considered before the business makes significant commitments or introduces additional complexity.

5. Leadership regularly considers financial pressures, changing conditions and practical contingency options that could affect business resilience.

SECTION 8 — MARKETING EFFECTIVENESS & BUSINESS GROWTH ( Objective: Assess marketing focus, message clarity, performance measurement and alignment with sustainable business growth.) Expand

1. Marketing activity is directed towards clearly defined audiences that are relevant to the business’s core offering.

2. Marketing messages consistently communicate the business’s value, relevance and meaningful points of difference.

3. Marketing activity follows clear priorities, with defined ownership, intended outcomes and proportionate resource allocation.

4. The business can identify how marketing activity contributes to enquiries, conversion, customer acquisition or other relevant outcomes.

5. Marketing performance is reviewed regularly, with resources and activity adjusted according to evidence rather than assumptions.