The Stage 2-7 problem analysis framework serves as a deep diagnostic process, providing a thorough understanding of the issue at hand—much like how modern medicine evaluates a patient’s health by considering multiple systems and their interactions.
This comprehensive analysis not only leads to a better understanding of problems but also uncovers opportunities to correct issues at every perspective.
One of the unique strengths of the Stage 2-7 analysis is its flexibility. It can be applied to focus on a specific subfunction within a department—like Benefits & Compensation within HR—or it can be scaled to analyze issues across all departments in the enterprise.
Here’s how each stage contributes to this comprehensive understanding:
Stage 2: Strategy Analysis – Just as a doctor examines a patient’s lifestyle and history to understand potential causes of their illness, this stage analyzes the organization’s strategy to identify misalignments and strategic issues that might be contributing to the problem. Whether the focus is on a specific subfunction like Benefits & Compensation or the entire enterprise, this stage reveals strategic misalignments and opportunities for realignment.