MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Situation

Operations

Identify one recurring founder task to automate or delegate this week—free time for higher-value work.

Check your daily workflow—remove one unnecessary step to free up mental space.

Revisit one checklist or process—shorten or update it if outdated.

Ask a peer founder: “What’s one operational task that slows you more than it should?”

Time one routine task—can you finish faster with a template or shortcut?

Review your task backlog—delete or archive any item older than 30 days.

When did your workflow feel smooth and focused—what steps made that possible?

What’s one area where you keep rebuilding processes—what’s missing in your system?

Recall a missed deadline—what system breakdown caused it most?

Which workflows have grown bloated—are they value-adding or busywork?

How consistent are your repeated tasks—do others know what to expect?

When do you feel most “in flow” operationally—and when does drag peak?

Map your weekly founder tasks—group them and spot where most of your time is draining.

Choose one routine task and document it step-by-step—ask someone else to test it.

Block one hour to build or refine a template you’ve been avoiding.

Ask your team to nominate the messiest process—lead a quick redesign sprint.

Pilot a short check-in focused only on operations—what’s working or breaking?

Conduct a task audit—highlight items to batch, drop, or streamline.

Ask: “What’s one founder task I do that could be handled faster or differently?”

Invite a peer to walk through your current workflow—where do they hesitate or get lost?

Share a recent process with a peer and ask: “Where would you streamline if this were yours?”

Run a quick poll: which system or tool wastes the most time in your view?

Invite a junior peer to shadow your admin tasks—what fresh insights do they bring?

Ask cross-functional peers where you create bottlenecks unintentionally.

Reframe “I just get it done” to “I’m shaping repeatable systems for reliable progress.”

Instead of “That’s just my way,” ask “What’s the real purpose of this step?”

Reframe operations not as back-office work, but as the engine for results.

Shift from “It works for me” to “Does it work for others relying on it?”

View messy operations not as failure, but as signals for redesign.

Replace “Just patch it later” with “How do I prevent this next time?”

Track how often you answer the same process question—what could be templated?

Watch how long it takes to find shared files—does your structure help or block?

Observe where work often stalls—handoffs, unclear owners, or missing steps?

Monitor system usage—are tools used as intended, or worked around?

Track repeated last-minute scrambles—planning gap or tool failure?

Pay attention to recurring errors—do they come from bad templates or unclear steps?

Decision-making

Identify one decision you’ve been avoiding—write down the risk of waiting, then make a call.

Use a simple “Yes / No / Not now” filter to quickly triage your pending decisions.

Revisit a recent small choice—was it clear or by default? Note what you’d do differently.

Write out three criteria that define a “good decision” in your current venture stage.

Ask a trusted peer to sanity-check one choice you’re overthinking—get quick input.

Block 15 minutes to review a past misstep—what decision could have changed the outcome?

Recall a time you made a quick choice that worked—what cues gave you confidence?

When have you overanalyzed a detail that later proved irrelevant—why did it matter then?

What decisions feel easiest for you—and which create doubt or drag?

Do you favor reversible or irreversible choices—and how does that show up?

How often do you decide based on pressure instead of your own logic?

When did you last change your mind on new data—and how did it feel?

Keep a decision log for a week—note choices, reasons, and the outcomes.

Before your next major choice, write down at least three options beyond yes/no.

Run a quick “pre-mortem” with a peer—what could derail your current plan?

Ask two mentors for opposite views on one choice—reflect on the tension.

Lead a team through a structured decision matrix—compare weights and risks.

Force a decision today on one issue stuck for a week—commit and move forward.

Ask a mentor: “What’s one decision you think I made well this month, and why?”

Review one past decision with your team—what did you learn, and would you choose differently?

Present a tough decision to an outsider—what do they see that you may have missed?

Ask feedback on your framing: “Did I explain tradeoffs clearly when I asked for input?”

Ask your team: “Where do we get stuck in decision cycles—and what’s really causing it?”

Share one recent choice in a retro—what helped or hindered alignment?

Reframe “I can’t decide yet” to “What would make me 60% confident to move forward now?”

Change “I might be wrong” to “I’ll test and learn quickly.”

Recast mistakes not as failures, but as experiments with valuable data.

Shift from “What’s safest?” to “What’s most aligned with my goals?”

Instead of “I need certainty,” ask “What’s the minimum clarity to proceed?”

Reframe decisions not as final calls, but as bets to learn from.

Notice when you delay choices—what patterns or fears keep surfacing?

Track how long it takes to close loops on actions—are decisions really final?

Watch how mentors structure their choices—what filters do they use?

Listen to your inner dialogue before choices—are you seeking safety or progress?

Observe how often emotions steer choices more than facts—where does it show up?

Monitor how priorities shift midstream—was it reactive or intentional?

Structure

Sketch a quick outline of your current team roles—are responsibilities and gaps obvious?

Identify one role where ownership feels vague—clarify who decides what by today.

Review how you track progress—does it align with how people actually deliver results?

Update one role description or task list to reflect what’s really happening now.

Check if everyone knows who they report to—ask one direct clarifying question.

Write in one sentence the core purpose of your role—does it match your daily actions?

When have you seen a lean setup help a project thrive—what made it effective?

When has unclear ownership slowed your project—what was missing in structure?

How does your current setup help—or hinder—cross-functional collaboration?

Recall a time you felt underused—was it due to vague roles or limits?

What parts of your role are assumed, not defined—how does that affect clarity?

Recall when your setup shifted—how did it affect ownership or results?

Clarify who owns each of your top five launch priorities—list names or roles.

Sketch the escalation path for a risky task—who steps in if issues appear?

Hold a short workshop: “What’s working or broken in our current role setup?”

Draft a simple RACI map for one project—who’s Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed?

Spot a task floating between roles—assign ownership and back them up.

Review your calendar—does it reflect your defined role, or hidden gaps?

Ask a collaborator: “What part of my role do you count on most—and is it clear to you?”

Ask a collaborator: “Which responsibilities feel ambiguous or overlapping in your role?”

Share your team structure with a mentor and ask: “Where might confusion appear?”

Ask a newcomer to explain your org setup—do they understand roles correctly?

Gather feedback on how accountability flows in your team—what needs change?

Share your role scope with a mentor—ask if it matches their view of expectations.

Reframe “roles are fixed” to “roles flex with needs—what should shift right now?”

Shift from “I need more hires” to “Can I redistribute responsibilities first?”

View unclear structure not as chaos but as a cue to co-design clarity.

Recast hierarchy as support, not control—what changes if I see it that way?

Instead of “I lack authority,” ask “What part can I own fully right now?”

Reframe org charts as maps of influence and trust, not just reporting lines.

Watch where handoffs fail—what tasks slip through because ownership is unclear?

Observe team discussions—who dominates, who defers, and what that says about roles.

Track how often decisions bounce between people—would clearer roles fix it?

Notice recurring confusion—are tasks overlapping or missing clear owners?

Pay attention to how new joiners are onboarded—does structure match reality?

Monitor how often people step outside their role—gap or agility?

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