Leave with a proposal structure with scope, responsibilities and decision requirements.
Start with a real buying situation
For the worked example, the audience is a CEO dealing with a stalled operational initiative. Their problem is that teams disagree about who owns the next decision. The desired practical outcome is an agreed decision map and a practical implementation sequence.
The example is deliberately bounded: the client team has limited time for interviews and workshops. That condition should influence the promise, scope and next step rather than disappear from the marketing copy.
| Illustrative offer | a focused operating-model review |
|---|---|
| Buyer question | Which unresolved decision is holding the initiative back today? |
| Possible evidence | a worked example of roles, decision rights and escalation paths |
| Useful asset | a decision-rights and implementation worksheet |
How to complete your proposal brief
- Restate the buyer’s verified problem and desired result.
- Specify deliverables, responsibilities and exclusions.
- Describe the sequence and required client inputs.
- Separate fees and third-party costs.
- List acceptance criteria, open questions and the approval process.
Worked example
These entries are illustrative planning material, not research findings or customer results. Keep the structure and replace the content with verified details.
| Problem and desired outcome | Problem: teams disagree about who owns the next decision. Desired result: an agreed decision map and a practical implementation sequence. Confirm both with the buyer. |
|---|---|
| Deliverables and exclusions | a focused operating-model review. Define access to stakeholders, deliverables, decision owners and handover. List exclusions rather than relying on assumptions. |
| Responsibilities and dependencies | the client team has limited time for interviews and workshops. Name the client and supplier owners for each required input. |
| Fees and commercial assumptions | Use approved prices only. Define access to stakeholders, deliverables, decision owners and handover. The worksheet deliberately contains no invented market rate. |
| Acceptance and approval | Agree how to review a worked example of roles, decision rights and escalation paths and the number of blocked decisions resolved with named owners. List open questions, approvers and the next decision. |
Review before using it
A useful operational measure in this example is the number of blocked decisions resolved with named owners. That does not automatically make it a marketing attribution metric. Define the source, period and owner before drawing conclusions.
- Could delivery begin from this document without relying on undocumented promises?
- Check the delivery assumptions: Define access to stakeholders, deliverables, decision owners and handover.
- Use evidence rather than promises. Separate your recommendations from outcomes that depend on client execution.
- Discuss the draft with someone who understands the buying situation. Start with: “Which unresolved decision is holding the initiative back today?”
- If the next step is a trial, define its purpose. One possible starting point is to map one cross-team process and test the proposed ownership with its participants.
Common mistakes and a better review
Do not fill a missing fact with an impressive-sounding number. Mark it as an assumption, explain how you will check it and give that check an owner. A short, honest document is easier to use than an elaborate plan built on unknowns.
| Watch for | A persuasive proposal can still fail if nobody knows what is included. |
|---|---|
| A real buyer concern | Consultants leave us with slides and no execution. |
| Useful response direction | Let us define the decisions, owners and implementation artefacts you need, and make handover a named deliverable. |
| Evidence to collect | The buyer’s own account, a worked example of roles, decision rights and escalation paths, and records relevant to the number of blocked decisions resolved with named owners. |
Your working sheet
Write your own version below. Notes are saved on this browser when local storage is available. Use Download to keep a separate copy; avoid adding confidential information on a shared device.
Example: Problem: teams disagree about who owns the next decision. Desired result: an agreed decision map and a practical implementation sequence. Confirm both with the buyer.
Example: a focused operating-model review. Define access to stakeholders, deliverables, decision owners and handover. List exclusions rather than relying on assumptions.
Example: the client team has limited time for interviews and workshops. Name the client and supplier owners for each required input.
Example: Use approved prices only. Define access to stakeholders, deliverables, decision owners and handover. The worksheet deliberately contains no invented market rate.
Example: Agree how to review a worked example of roles, decision rights and escalation paths and the number of blocked decisions resolved with named owners. List open questions, approvers and the next decision.
Review your work
Tick only what you can support with your answer or practice. This is a reflection checklist, not an automated assessment.
Questions about this resource
How do I adapt this for my management consulting business?
Replace the audience, offer and evidence with your actual information. Begin with a recent buyer conversation about why teams disagree about who owns the next decision, then check which assumptions match your business.
Is the filled example ready to publish?
No. It is a working example. Verify claims, permissions, prices, current capabilities and any customer information before using it externally. Separate your recommendations from outcomes that depend on client execution.
What should I do after completing the worksheet?
Use it to make one decision or have one focused conversation. The intended output is a proposal structure with scope, responsibilities and decision requirements. Set a review date and update it when the evidence changes.
Illustrative business worksheet. No customer results, market rates, traffic volumes or performance benchmarks are implied. About these resources.