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Strategic Pattern Diagnostic

A 20-Minute Assessment of Systemic Complexity

The Strategic Pattern Diagnostic

Discover whether your challenges require systems thinking – or whether traditional approaches will serve you better.

This brief assessment reveals three things:

  • Pattern Recognition – Which systemic patterns your organisation is experiencing
  • Readiness Assessment – Whether you recognise complexity and show willingness to explore new approaches
  • Urgency Calibration – How critical it is to address these patterns now

To receive your results and interpretation, you’ll need to share your email address at the end. We respect your privacy and won’t share your details.

Choose your format:

  1. Take the Online Assessment Below ← Recommended
    Get instant results and interpretation (5 minutes)
  2. Download PDF Version
    Complete offline with your team (20 minutes as group exercise)

How to use this diagnostic:

Complete the assessment individually. For deeper insight, have your leadership team complete it separately, then compare results to reveal where you see patterns differently.

PART A: DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM

Read each pattern and rate how strongly it resonates with your current reality.

Pattern 1: The Recurring Problem
'We've addressed the same strategic issue multiple times, but it keeps resurfacing in new forms. Our 'solutions' seem to create new versions of the original problem.'
Pattern 2: The Unintended Consequences
'When we fix something in one area, problems emerge elsewhere. Our improvements in one part of our system create complications in another part of our system.'
Pattern 3: The Strategy-Execution Gap
'We create strategic plans that look brilliant on paper but feel disconnected from how we actually operate. Strategy stays in documents while daily reality is more concerned with firefighting.'
Pattern 4: The Faster-is-Slower Paradox
'The harder we push to speed things up, the slower progress feels. Our attempts to increase efficiency create more bottlenecks and resistance.'
Pattern 5: The Individually-Capable-but-Collectively-Limited Team
'Our leadership team has talented individuals but struggles to think together effectively. We have smart people who can't seem to generate collective wisdom.'
Pattern 6: The Change Initiative Fatigue
'We've run multiple change programmes—culture change, digital transformation, restructuring—but underlying patterns persist. People are cynical about 'transformation.'

PART B: ASSESS YOUR READINESS

The following statements help assess whether your organisation is experiencing systemic forces and whether you're ready to address them differently.

Rate your level of agreement:

1 = Strongly disagree | 5 = Strongly agree

'Our biggest challenges involve multiple interconnected forces, not single root causes.'
Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
'Traditional analytical problem-solving hasn't resolved our persistent issues.'
Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
'We're investing heavily in AI/technology but haven't considered what work becomes uniquely human as machines get smarter.'
Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
'Trust between teams or functions has eroded.'
Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
'Our purpose work hasn't translated into genuine employee connection and meaning.'
Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
'We need strategic thinking depth, not just another planning cycle.'
Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
'Our organisation would benefit from seeing the whole system, not just optimising parts.'
Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
'This leadership team is ready to examine our own mental models and assumptions.'
Strongly disagree
Strongly agree

PART C: DETERMINE URGENCY

Based on the patterns you've identified, how quickly should you address them?

Question 1: How urgent is it to address these systemic patterns?
Question 2: What's driving the urgency? (Select all that apply)

THANK YOU

To receive your results - along with suggested actions you might take to build your capacity for Systems Thinking - please share your contact information below.

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Strategic Pattern Diagnostic