Lore

Straw Man Approach (Surfacing Strategy Gaps Without Authority)

For people without the authority to set or change strategy, propose a tentative, explicit reading of what the strategy seems to be — a straw man — and check it against others. Framed as a question rather than a challenge, this surfaces gaps and disagreement in how the strategy is understood without putting the person in the position of appearing to contest leadership's decision directly.

Useful where Laddering (Strategy-Alignment Diagnostic) or Exec Strategy Interview Diagnostic reveal a disconnect but the person who found it isn't the one who can unilaterally fix it.