Business Case Studies & Business Publications

What Needs to Be True? A Simple Framewor...

Kim, K. Dennie

Technical Note

What Needs to Be True? A Simple Framework for Evaluation

Kim, K. Dennie

S-0418 | Published December 19, 2023 | 3 pages Technical Note

Collection: Darden School of Business

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For strategists, a good hypothesis is invaluable, both as a starting point and as a guide to help structure a good analysis. A hypothesis-driven approach is widely regarded as the gold standard in tackling problems where uncertainty and ambiguity make it difficult to identify obvious solutions. “What needs to be true?” (WNT) is a framework that highlights the power and importance of assumptions in strategic decision-making; thus, it is an essential complement to a hypothesis-driven mindset. It is meant to be an “everyday carry” tool in the strategist’s arsenal—something that is simple and compact enough to be quickly deployed on the fly. It is versatile and can be used as a reliable starting point for any evaluative exercise.

- Introduce a strategic tool used for strategic decision-making - Practice using the "what needs to be true?" framework to examine and understand reasons behind courses of action already taken - Present a framework that could be used to move stakeholders from their original position