Implementation
90-Day Playbook
From diagnosis to decision in twelve weeks. The playbook cascades through four altitudes — each starts when the one above produces usable artefacts. Filter by altitude to see your lane.
Based on the ISEE framework from Ghost Decisions by Suzanne Daniels.
Starts when: Executive sponsor identified. Commitment to run diagnostics.
Name 3–7 operational non-negotiables
Not values on a wall. Operational commitments your organisation will not trade under speed, pressure, or commercial urgency. If you cannot name three, Intent is implicit — and implicit Intent gets encoded by whoever is closest to the keyboard.
Artefact: Never-delegate list (3–7 items, one page) · CEO / Executive Team
Run the four diagnostic questions
Name your Intent layer. Test your Structure layer (what does a new cell inherit automatically?). Hunt ghost decisions. Read your Evidence (what signal contradicts something you believed a quarter ago?). These work without permission.
Artefact: Diagnostic results with ghost decision log · CTO / VP Engineering
Run the Succession Test
If your most senior spine author left tomorrow, which decisions would become unmade? Which rules would lose their rationale?
Artefact: Succession risk map · CTO
Draft one-page decision rights
Who can make what decisions at what altitude? What escalates, what doesn't? First usable version of Intent — enough for the business unit to specialise.
Artefact: Decision rights document · Executive sponsor
🚦 Gate: Never-delegate list published. Decision rights drafted. ≥3 ghost decisions documented. BU can now specialise.