Sightline Resources
These frameworks have been developed and refined over nearly two decades of embedded CFO+ engagements. They are practical, actionable, and built for the companies most likely to put them to work.
The 25 Key Indicators of Operational & Financial Stability
A rapid diagnostic framework that evaluates the health of a business across 25 critical indicators spanning governance, finance, operations, compliance, and culture. Used at the outset of every Sightline engagement to establish a baseline and identify priority areas.
The Operational & Financial Stability Assessment
A more detailed version of the 25 Key Indicators, organized by functional area — Corporate Governance & Strategy, Finance, Operations, Compliance, and HR — with supplemental interview questions for each indicator. Designed for management discussions and due diligence processes.
Stable. Predictable. Growing.™
A financial performance tracking framework that helps leadership teams monitor the metrics that matter most — distinguishing between businesses that are operationally stable, financially predictable, and positioned for sustainable growth.
Cash Flow & Cash Velocity
A practitioner's guide to the difference between profit and cash flow — and why cash is oxygen. Introduces the concept of cash velocity: not just the direction of cash flow but its speed. Covers collections management, inventory, and the structural reasons profitable companies run out of cash.
Key Components of a Financial Pro Forma
A practical guide to the eight components of a complete pro forma financial model: P&L by year, P&L by quarter, Sales Plan, COGS, Staffing Plan, Expenses, Balance Sheet, and Capex/Cash Flow. Written to be accessible to founders and business owners, with guidance on what matters most for day-to-day management versus investor presentations.
How to Conduct a SWOT Analysis
A practical guide to one of the most commonly used — and most commonly misused — strategic planning tools. Covers structured internal and external analysis, mapping SWOT findings to existing strategy, and identifying genuine strategy gaps.
Advanced SWOT Analysis
A more rigorous version of the standard SWOT. Every item must be verifiable — not opinion-based — and a weighted scoring methodology (Importance × Rating = Score) is applied to prioritize findings objectively. Strengths and weaknesses are evaluated on importance and magnitude; opportunities and threats are evaluated on importance and probability of occurrence. The result is a SWOT that drives decisions rather than generating a list.
The Hard Questions to Ask When Planning Your Strategy
A framework that challenges leadership teams to move from strategy planning to strategy therapy — replacing the annual budget spectacle with an honest examination of what truly makes the business special, how special it really is, and how far leadership is willing to go to make it more so. Based on research published in Harvard Business Review.
Strategic Plan Execution Roadmap
A structured template that translates a completed strategic plan into a prioritized, accountable execution roadmap — with defined activities, milestones, responsible parties, obstacles, and communication plans. Bridges the gap between strategy development and day-to-day execution.
Porter's Five Forces Analysis
A structured competitive analysis with guided questions for each of the five forces: Supplier Power, Buyer Power, Competitive Rivalry, Threat of Substitution, and Threat of New Entry. Understanding these forces tells you where real power lies in your industry and how to position accordingly. Designed to produce an actionable competitive assessment, not a theoretical exercise.
PESTEL Analysis
A systematic scan of Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors that create the context within which your business operates. The Technological dimension explicitly addresses the impact of AI and process automation — making this a particularly timely tool for companies assessing how the AI landscape affects their competitive position and operating model.
The Organizational Health Model
The centerpiece of the Sightline methodology. A four-quadrant framework that evaluates organizational performance across Mission Clarity (Why), Structure Clarity (Who), Process Clarity (How), and Performance Clarity (What). Includes the Smart vs. Healthy leadership framework and the Six Critical Questions every leadership team must be able to answer clearly and consistently.
Used in leadership team engagements to diagnose dysfunction, align the team around current state, and prioritize the interventions most likely to improve execution.
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Organizational Clarity Discussion Guide
A structured set of diagnostic questions for each of the four clarity dimensions, designed for use in leadership team sessions. Each dimension includes probing sub-questions that surface the gaps, ambiguities, and misalignments that prevent organizations from executing at their full potential.
Organizational Health Road Map
A 12-month structured approach to building a healthy organization — from pre-work and initial leadership alignment through quarterly reviews, key leader roll-outs, and the ongoing embedding of clarity into human systems and communications. Provides a practical, time-bound framework for organizations serious about lasting transformation rather than just planning.
Establishing Measurements and Setting Goals
A practical framework for building a measurement-driven culture. Covers what to measure (financial, operational, and satisfaction metrics), how to establish a baseline, how to set meaningful goals collaboratively, and how to use data to manage performance objectively. Grounded in the principle: run the business on facts and data, not emotion and gut feel.
Performance Attributes Framework
A structured model for defining performance expectations and differentiators at the team and individual level — covering baseline expectations (quality, accuracy, integrity, accountability, teamwork) and the behaviors that distinguish high performers (proactivity, innovation, solution orientation, continuous learning). Used to align performance management with organizational values and strategic priorities.
How to use these tools
These frameworks are available in two ways: as standalone resources for leadership teams who want to self-direct their planning process, or as part of a facilitated Sightline engagement where we guide your team through the process and help you act on what you find.
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