Glossary

The words, plainly.

Every term behind the method and the templates — defined in a sentence or two, so you can use them, share them, or just check what we mean. See how it works or the templates.

The method

The vocabulary behind every unfsckd template.

The 10-out-of-10 method

A diagnostic technique: define what a concrete “10 out of 10” would actually look like for a dimension, score where you really are, and treat the gap between the two as the prioritised work. It’s safe (a number is easier to share than bad news), comparative, and forward-looking. →

Delivery confidence

An honest, evidence-based read on whether a project will deliver its promised benefits — scored across dimensions like scope, budget, risk and capacity, rather than collapsed into a single green/amber/red status. →

Change debt

The widening gap between the plan a project was approved on and the reality the team is actually living with. Like technical debt, the longer it goes unmeasured, the more expensive it becomes to close.

Divergence as diagnostic

The core principle that the disagreement between people’s scores is the signal. When the PM rates delivery 8 and the tech lead says 5, the 3-point gap is the conversation that needs to happen — not an argument to win.

The three-month problem

The recurring pattern where a new leader spends about nine weeks discovering what a project is delivering, what sponsors thought they bought, and the intended end-to-end arc — then three more dealing with the denial that the first two don’t match. Three months in, the real work hasn’t started.

Continue, rescope, or stop

The three honest outcomes of a delivery diagnostic. Continue: gaps are manageable. Rescope: the original scope can’t deliver the benefits — redefine “done.” Stop: the gap is too wide — recover what you can and redirect. Stopping isn’t failure; it’s the responsible call with someone else’s money. →

Step Zero

The honest assessment done before any engagement begins — capturing intent, context and readiness from the person in a role, so the gap between stated intent and operational reality becomes measurable.

BAU-to-BAU arc

The full path from the current steady state (business-as-usual) → project delivery → the new steady state the project is meant to enable. If a team can’t agree on this arc, the project’s benefits are already at risk.

Benefits traceability

The ability to draw a clear line from the work being done to the benefit it’s meant to produce. Where the line breaks, the benefit is at risk — and the work may be effort without outcome.

Diagnostic snapshots (free)

Free .docx instruments — fill in independently, then compare.

Diagnostic snapshot

A short, structured document you fill in independently and compare across a team. It takes a point-in-time reading of one area — and the value is in the gaps between what different people think is true. →

Delivery Confidence Snapshot free

The core diagnostic. Scores eight delivery dimensions — scope clarity, budget confidence, timeline realism, risk management, team capacity, stakeholder alignment, benefits traceability, and governance — against 10/10, then routes to continue, rescope, or stop. Start here. →

Security Policy Snapshot free

Surfaces the gap between what your security policy says and what’s actually practised — access control, incident-response readiness, and documented-vs-real policy gaps.

Data Processing Agreement Review free

Maps real data flows against contractual obligations — processor/controller alignment, retention, and cross-border compliance.

Privacy Compliance Baseline free

Measures privacy posture against regulatory requirements — consent mechanisms, subject-access handling, and breach notification.

Customer Journey Audit free

Traces the journey customers actually take against the one you designed — drop-off points, friction, handover gaps, and experience debt.

Operator-Level Process Check free

Walks a process as the operator actually experiences it — workarounds, undocumented steps, and capacity versus demand.

Organisational Readiness Snapshot free

Assesses whether the organisation can absorb what a project is about to deliver — change capacity, training, and communications.

Compliance Baseline free

Maps current compliance against regulatory and contractual obligations, with a gap analysis and the evidence each gap requires.

Governance & Step Zero (members)

The governance layer — free membership.

Board-Level Governance Posture members

Surfaces what the board knows versus what it should know — fiduciary risk, succession, and compliance gaps a regulator would find.

Portfolio Delivery Confidence Review members

The board-level aggregate — delivery confidence across programmes and projects, traced from strategy to delivery.

Step Zero role forms members

Role-based intake forms — Chair, CEO, COO, CFO, Secretary, CISO — capturing what each leader believes, plans and prioritises. Paired with the diagnostics, they make intent-versus-reality measurable.

The Field Guide members

The deployment manual: when to use each template, what each surfaces, how they connect, and how to steer back, rescope or stop before it gets expensive.