The Method — Engineer
Engineer phase: a worksheet businesses can use today
Work through the five prompts below and you will have a usable draft of a causal explanation the owner agrees with by the end of the afternoon.
7 min read · Reviewed by both partners
This is the do-it-yourself version. It will not match a facilitated session, and it is far better than skipping the phase.
Write the answers down. The value is in the artifact, not the thinking.
Step by step
Prompt one: state the goal in a number and a date
If it has no number or no date, it is an aspiration and this phase cannot use it.
Prompt two: list what you actually know, with sources
Two columns: the claim, and where the number came from. Blank second column is the finding.
Prompt three: name three candidate answers
For Engineer that means three candidates for finding the mechanism behind the constraint rather than its symptom. Three, not one.
Prompt four: find the number that separates them
Which single figure would eliminate two of the three? Go and get it.
Prompt five: write the conclusion in one paragraph
A causal explanation the owner agrees with. One paragraph, dated, shared with whoever else needs it.
Common mistakes
Doing it alone
Owners are structurally unable to be objective about their own business. Bring at least one other person.
Stopping at prompt three
Three candidates is comfortable. Choosing between them is the phase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Engineer phase: a worksheet businesses can use today?
This is the do-it-yourself version. It will not match a facilitated session, and it is far better than skipping the phase.
What happens if a business owner ignores this?
It sits under The Engineer Phase in the Growth Scaling Method. The next step for an owner is the $1,500 Assessment, which reads your own numbers against everything described above.
How much should we budget?
Budget $4,500 to find out what to build. Budget from $5,000 a month only if the Plan says a recurring engine is warranted — sometimes it says the opposite.
Who delivers the work?
Both founding partners, every time — strategy from David Mitroff, Ph.D., systems and measurement from Steven Lockhart.
References
- www.score.org — primary source
- www.ftc.gov — primary source
- www.dol.gov — primary source
Or have it run for you
The Assessment is this worksheet done properly, with both partners and an outside read.
Growth-Scaling is a marketing and business-scaling firm. It is not a licensed practitioner in any client vertical and does not provide medical, legal, financial, or contracting services; all industry content on this site is marketing and growth guidance for owners in those fields. Figures describing past engagements refer to specific businesses under specific conditions and are not a prediction of any future result. No outcome is promised.
Written by Steven Lockhart, reviewed by David Mitroff, Ph.D. Figures and regulatory details reflect the cited public sources; requirements vary by state and situation. Growth-Scaling is a marketing and business-scaling firm, not a licensed practitioner in any client vertical.