Problem diagnosis tools and strategic planning frameworks

Diagnosed organisational problems rarely yield to guesswork or instinct, and this video focuses on the structured tools that force a more rigorous approach. Covering fishbone analysis (also known as cause-and-effect or Ishikawa analysis), force field analysis, critical incident analysis, the Balanced Scorecard, and the Target Operating Model, the video maps directly onto AC 1.2 of 5CO02, which asks students to evaluate how analysis tools can be applied to diagnose organisational issues, challenges and opportunities. Each tool is examined in terms of what it is designed to uncover and the types of people practice situations in which it is most productively applied.

The problem diagnosis section of the video draws on Kurt Lewin's force field analysis alongside fishbone and critical incident techniques, considering how each one approaches the question of causation differently. Lewin's framework is examined in relation to driving and restraining forces, while fishbone analysis is considered through the lens of categories such as leadership, communication, systems, training, resources and culture. Critical incident analysis is treated not as an abstract method but in connection with concrete people practice scenarios including recruitment, misconduct and employee retention. The video also touches on the collaborative dimension of these tools and how group involvement affects the quality of diagnosis.

The strategic planning portion of the video covers Kaplan and Norton's Balanced Scorecard, examining its four performance perspectives and the causal logic that connects the Learning and Growth perspective to financial outcomes — a link directly relevant to articulating the business value of HR activity. The Target Operating Model is also addressed, with attention to how it encompasses structure, processes, technology, governance and capabilities, and why people practitioners are centrally involved in its development, particularly in relation to organisation design and capability planning. Together, the two sections of the video give 5CO02 students a comparative view of tools suited to diagnosing current-state problems and tools suited to planning future-state transformation.