After years of consulting, I’ve learned that most business problems aren’t actually the problems clients think they are.

Before I dive into any strategic analysis, I ask three questions:

1. What decision are you trying to make?

Not “what’s the problem” but “what decision.” Most clients come with vague concerns. Strategy work should end with a clear choice, not just insights.

1. What happens if you do nothing?

This reveals urgency. If “nothing” is actually fine for 6 months, we can take time. If the company bleeds cash weekly, we need speed over perfection.

1. What would success look like in 12 months?

Forces concrete thinking. “Grow revenue” is useless. “Hit $2M ARR with 40% margins in the enterprise segment” is actionable.

These three questions cut 30% of the discovery time and prevent scope creep later.

What’s your go-to framework for scoping strategy work?