What it corrects
Teams often analyse an important-sounding topic without defining the choice. “Should we grow?”, “Should we enter Europe?”, and “What should the company do?” can absorb unlimited research because nobody can tell when they have been answered.
The clarity test turns the topic into a decision. A precise question names the decision-maker, the action, the timing, the boundary, and the outcome being pursued. It should be concrete enough that a person with perfect future knowledge could tell you whether the proposition was true.
How it works
- Name the actor and the choice that must be made.
- Add the time horizon and what is outside the decision.
- Define success in observable terms.
- Check that at least two genuinely different choices remain possible.
In a Business Case Weekly case
In the Nike case, “What should Knight do about the supplier?” is still a topic. A useful frame identifies the commercial choice, the period it must cover, the dependency it is meant to change, and what survival or success would mean.
In your answer
- “The decision is whether to … by …”
- “The objective is … while preserving …”
- “This works if we can observe … by …”
Common misuse
Specific wording is not the same as a good frame. A precisely stated question can still optimise the wrong objective. After making it measurable, ask whether answering it would solve the business problem that actually matters.