Root Cause Business Problem Chain

validated business chain v1.0.0 cc-by-sa

Block ID: f8fdce26-3f0e-46aa-b602-74064f1b5151

Community-contributed block. PromptDNA makes no guarantee of output quality or fitness for purpose. User assumes all responsibility for use.

Template

Diagnose the business problem in {problem_symptom} before jumping to solutions, since most failed initiatives solve the wrong problem well. (1) State the problem as an observable symptom with numbers, not as a presumed cause — "revenue fell 12% in Q3" not "our salespeople are underperforming," because embedding the assumed cause in the problem statement forecloses the diagnosis. (2) Decompose the symptom into its drivers: break the metric into its components (revenue into volume × price, or into segments, channels, and periods) to localize where the change actually occurred rather than treating the aggregate as one thing. (3) Ask why iteratively at the localized driver, each answer a verifiable cause of the one above, until reaching a root that is both actionable and, if fixed, would prevent recurrence. (4) Distinguish the proximate trigger from the systemic condition that allowed it, and separate a one-time shock from a structural trend, since they demand different responses. (5) Test candidate causes against the evidence: does the timing, magnitude, and pattern fit, and would the symptom have occurred without this cause? Discard causes that don't survive. (6) State the root cause, the confidence in it, and what data would confirm it — resisting the pressure to act before the diagnosis is sound. Note where you're still inferring rather than knowing.

Diagnose the business problem in {problem_symptom} before jumping to solutions, since most failed initiatives solve the wrong problem well. (1) State the problem as an observable symptom with numbers, not as a presumed cause — "revenue fell 12% in Q3" not "our salespeople are underperforming," because embedding the assumed cause in the problem statement forecloses the diagnosis. (2) Decompose the symptom into its drivers: break the metric into its components (revenue into volume × price, or into segments, channels, and periods) to localize where the change actually occurred rather than treating the aggregate as one thing. (3) Ask why iteratively at the localized driver, each answer a verifiable cause of the one above, until reaching a root that is both actionable and, if fixed, would prevent recurrence. (4) Distinguish the proximate trigger from the systemic condition that allowed it, and separate a one-time shock from a structural trend, since they demand different responses. (5) Test candidate causes against the evidence: does the timing, magnitude, and pattern fit, and would the symptom have occurred without this cause? Discard causes that don't survive. (6) State the root cause, the confidence in it, and what data would confirm it — resisting the pressure to act before the diagnosis is sound. Note where you're still inferring rather than knowing.

Variables

Name	Type	Required	Trust level
problem_symptom		yes

problem-solvingroot-causediagnosischain-of-thought

Ratings

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Overall (0)

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Accuracy

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Consistency

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Clarity

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Efficiency

Benchmarks

Not yet self-validated against any benchmark. Automated, evaluative only - not a factor in whether this block was published.

Submitted by James P FounderMod via mcp · 2026-07-18