Define Perspectives

Define Perspectives

When to use

For strategy office or FP&A practitioners deciding the perspective set and causal-chain order before drafting objectives. The real decision isn't naming four boxes — it's which perspective sits at the top of the causal chain, because every other objective ultimately has to serve that end.

What this skill does not do

• Does not draft objectives — output feeds /balanced-scorecard:build-strategy-map only.
• Does not select measures or targets — route to /balanced-scorecard:select-measures and /balanced-scorecard:set-targets-and-initiatives.
• Does not decide hybrid top perspective for the user — runs pressure test and surfaces trade-offs; strategist chooses.
• Does not replace practice-setup — reads practice profile; run /balanced-scorecard:practice-setup if profile is empty.

Preconditions

Provisional mode

When sector is unclear or user has not answered pressure test:

• Label CONFIDENCE: structured first pass.
• Present checklist options with [review] on unresolved hybrid.
• Do not proceed to build-strategy-map handoff without stated top perspective or explicit dual-track flag.

Trust spine

• Confidence bands (structured-aggregation):
  • High: Sector confirmed, top perspective chosen via checklist or documented pressure-test answer, every perspective has stated causal role.
  • Medium: Mostly complete; weak rename rationale or fifth-perspective proposal under review.
  • Low: Scaffold only — sector unknown or hybrid unresolved; dual-track flagged explicitly.
• Tag vocabulary: [review] on subjective structural choices; [verify] on user-stated sector facts.
• Failure modes:
  • Strategic advice vs. support: Surfaces checklist and pressure test; does not pick Financial vs Mission for hybrid orgs without user answer.
  • Client confidentiality: Perspective choices may reveal org strategy — apply CONFIDENTIAL header when appropriate.
  • Accountability gap: TOP-PERSPECTIVE DECISION block forces explicit rationale; unresolved hybrid → dual-track note, not silent default.
  • Analytical Rigor: N/A — structural framing, not MECE analysis.
  • Incentive Gaming: N/A — no scoring or tracking.
• Escalation triggers:
  • Hybrid org with no pressure-test answer → ask test; flag dual-track if genuinely cannot choose.
  • Fifth perspective proposed → run gate; default resist unless user articulates trade-off.
  • Mission-driven org with Financial-at-top requested without rationale → flag [review], cite checklist.
  • Cosmetic renames without causal role → reject rename or require causal-clarity rationale.

Top-perspective decision (inline checklist)

Run this before naming perspectives. The top perspective is the ultimate end the entire map serves.

Pressure test (when ambiguous)

Ask: "Under real pressure — budget cut, donor loss, activist campaign — which would the organization sacrifice for the other?"

This is a structural decision, not a rename. Mission-at-top flows causality differently than Financial-at-top.

Workflow

Step 1: Load profiles

Read ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-strategy/balanced-scorecard/CLAUDE.md and org-profile.md for sector, mission constraints, and existing perspective vocabulary.

Step 2: Confirm sector and top perspective

Apply the checklist above. State the choice and rationale explicitly in the output.

Step 3: Set full perspective list and order

Four perspectives by default, top of causal chain first:

For mission-driven orgs, reorder so Mission/Stakeholder Impact is #1 and Financial Sustainability is an enabling perspective (typically #4 or paired with L&G — state the role clearly).

Use org vocabulary when it clarifies causal role — if renaming, state what causal job the renamed perspective plays (not cosmetic relabeling).

Step 4: Fifth-perspective gate

If the user proposes a fifth perspective (Sustainability, Risk, Innovation, etc.):

Step 5: Handoff check

Perspective set with causal order explicit is direct input to build-strategy-map. No objectives drafted here.

Output format

CONFIDENCE: [defensible recommendation | structured first pass]
SECTOR: [for-profit | nonprofit | public sector | hybrid]

TOP-PERSPECTIVE DECISION:
  Choice: [Financial | Mission/Stakeholder Impact | other | dual-track]
  Rationale: [checklist row or pressure-test answer]

PERSPECTIVES (top of causal chain first):
1. [Name] — [causal role: ultimate end this map serves]
2. [Name] — [causal role: what it must produce to serve #1]
3. [Name] — [causal role: what it must produce to serve #2]
4. [Name] — [causal role: foundational enabler]

RENAMES APPLIED: [any, with causal-clarity rationale — or none]
FIFTH-PERSPECTIVE REQUEST: [none | proposed | accepted/rejected with reason]

Worked example

Input: Nonprofit food bank. User states mission outcomes matter more than surplus margin under donor pressure.

Expected output (excerpt):

CONFIDENCE: defensible recommendation
SECTOR: nonprofit

TOP-PERSPECTIVE DECISION:
  Choice: Mission / Stakeholder Impact
  Rationale: Pressure test — would accept losses to preserve meals served

PERSPECTIVES (top of causal chain first):
1. Mission Impact — ultimate end: households food-secure in service area
2. Program Delivery — what must excel to drive mission outcomes
3. Internal Process — operational efficiency enabling delivery
4. Financial Sustainability — enabling perspective: funding model sustains programs

FIFTH-PERSPECTIVE REQUEST: none

Quality checks before delivering

• Top perspective chosen via checklist or pressure test — not defaulted blindly
• Mission-driven orgs do not default to Financial-at-top without rationale
• Every perspective has stated causal role in the chain
• Fifth perspective gate applied if requested
• Output ready as input to build-strategy-map (no objectives drafted here)
• Hybrid unresolved cases flagged dual-track, not forced to single top

Propose profile update

When a stable convention surfaces during this run (thresholds, naming, tone, output format, or recurring corrections), propose a profile update: show the exact diff against ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-strategy/balanced-scorecard/CLAUDE.md (org-wide facts go to org-profile.md), ask for confirmation, and write only on yes. Only /balanced-scorecard:practice-setup auto-applies a full profile write.

Outputs

Follows plugin CLAUDE.md § Outputs. Natural next branch: /balanced-scorecard:build-strategy-map with confirmed perspective order.