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Adam Kreek

Founder Built for Hard

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Consulting & SMB Strategy Prompt Library

posted in Built For Hard tools

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Adam Kreek

In today’s fast-moving business environment, leaders and consultants need practical tools that drive clarity, alignment, and execution. This Business Strategy Prompt Library was created to support founders, executives, and SMB leaders in Canada—especially those navigating growth across Vancouver Island, Greater Victoria, and BC’s competitive business landscape. Drawing on the values-driven, high-performance frameworks we use at Values Driven Achievement, these prompts help streamline strategic planning, improve decision quality, and run more effective leadership, board, and team meetings. Whether you’re building enterprise value, preparing for a strategic offsite, or sharpening your consulting practice, this resource gives you immediate leverage.

Version: 1.0

Intended user: Consultant / advisor to SMBs and mid-market companies
Primary uses: Strategy, board work, meeting design, diagnostics, implementation

Index (by Section and ID)

M. Meta & Usage

  • M1. Prompt Refinement
  • M2. Turn Any Prompt into a Template
  • M3. Select the Best Prompt for a Goal

1. Strategy & Enterprise Value

  • S1. Strategy Clarity Diagnostic
  • S2. Business Model Deconstruction
  • S3. Growth Options & Scenarios
  • S4. Risk & Constraint Map
  • S5. One-Page Strategy Summary
  • S6. Quarterly Strategy Refresh

2. Market, Customer & Offer

  • C1. Customer Segment Definition
  • C2. Jobs-to-Be-Done Insight Extraction
  • C3. Value Proposition Sharpening
  • C4. Pricing Options and Trade-offs
  • C5. Competitive Landscape Matrix

3. Board, Advisors & Governance

  • B1. Virtual Board of Directors
  • B2. Board Memo Drafting
  • B3. Board Meeting Agenda Design
  • B4. Board Pack Structure Checklist

4. Meetings & Facilitation

  • F1. High-Stakes Meeting Design
  • F2. Meeting Brief (for Participants)
  • F3. Pre-Read Creation
  • F4. Post-Meeting Debrief & Summary
  • F5. Decision & Action Log

5. Leadership, Team & Org

  • L1. Leadership 360 Synthesis
  • L2. Team Health Check
  • L3. Role Clarity & Accountability
  • L4. Difficult Conversation Script
  • L5. Delegation & Time Audit

6. Operations & Process

  • O1. Process Mapping & Swimlanes
  • O2. Bottleneck & Constraint Analysis
  • O3. SOP Drafting
  • O4. Service Delivery Quality Review

7. Finance & Metrics

  • Fm1. Financial Snapshot & KPI Design
  • Fm2. Cash Flow Scenario Planning
  • Fm3. Unit Economics Analysis
  • Fm4. Management Dashboard Outline

8. Change & Implementation

  • X1. 90-Day Execution Plan
  • X2. Change Readiness Assessment
  • X3. Implementation Risk Register
  • X4. Change Communication Plan

9. Multi-Step Consulting Workflows

  • W1. New Client Discovery Workflow
  • W2. Strategy Project Workflow
  • W3. Quarterly Business Review Workflow

M. Meta & Usage Prompts

M1. Prompt Refinement

Use when: You have a rough prompt and want a better version.

Improve the following prompt so it is clear, specific, and optimized for high-quality outputs.

  1. Ask up to 5 clarifying questions if needed.
  2. Provide a revised version of the prompt.
  3. Provide a shorter “lite” version.

Original prompt: {paste_your_prompt_here}

M2. Turn Any Prompt into a Template

Use when: You want to convert a one-off prompt into a reusable template.

Turn the following one-off prompt into a reusable consulting template.

  • Replace specifics with placeholders in {curly_braces}.
  • Add a “When to use this” note.
  • Add 3–5 optional parameters for depth or style.

Prompt: {paste_prompt_here}

M3. Select the Best Prompt for a Goal

Use when: You know the outcome but not which prompt to use.

I am a consultant working with a client. My goal is: {goal_description}.

From the following prompt library index, pick the 3 most relevant prompts and explain briefly how to use each for this situation.

Prompt library index: {paste_index_or_sections}

1. Strategy & Enterprise Value

S1. Strategy Clarity Diagnostic

Use when: Starting with a new client or re-baselining.

Act as a strategy consultant assessing the clarity and coherence of this business strategy.

Input:

  • Business description: {business_description}
  • Current strategy notes: {paste_notes_or_slides}
  • Time horizon: {time_horizon} (e.g., 12–36 months)

Tasks:

  1. Summarize the current strategy in 5 bullet points.
  2. Identify missing pieces (markets, segments, differentiation, economics, risks).
  3. Rate clarity, focus, and feasibility from 1–10 with a brief justification.
  4. Propose 3–5 questions I should ask the leadership team to sharpen this strategy.

S2. Business Model Deconstruction

Use when: You want to see the business as a system.

Deconstruct this business model using a structured approach.

Input: {business_description_and_key_facts}

Produce:

  1. A business model summary (customer, problem, solution, revenue, cost, channels).
  2. A simple value chain description (from lead to cash).
  3. The 3–5 key levers that most affect profit and enterprise value.
  4. One paragraph describing where this model is fragile and where it is robust.

S3. Growth Options & Scenarios

Use when: You need a structured view of growth paths.

Based on the following context, generate growth options and scenarios.

Context: {client_context}
Time horizon: {time_horizon}

Tasks:

  1. Propose 5–7 distinct growth options (e.g., new segments, pricing, product, partnerships).
  2. For each, outline: required capabilities, main risks, indicative payoff (low/med/high).
  3. Create 3 scenarios (Conservative, Base, Stretch) and describe what each implies.
  4. Suggest 3 decision criteria to compare these options.

S4. Risk & Constraint Map

Use when: You want a structured risk view.

Create a risk and constraint map for this business.

Context: {business_and_strategy_summary}

Tasks:

  1. Identify the top 10 risks across: market, financial, operational, people, technology, legal.
  2. Identify internal constraints (capacity, capital, skills, decision speed).
  3. Classify each by likelihood (low/med/high) and impact (low/med/high).
  4. Recommend 5 high-leverage mitigations or experiments for the next 90 days.

S5. One-Page Strategy Summary

Use when: You need a concise, shareable strategy page.

Turn the following notes into a one-page business strategy summary for leaders and managers.

Input: {strategy_notes}

Use this structure:

  • Purpose & ambition
  • Where we play (markets, segments, geographies)
  • How we win (differentiation, capabilities)
  • Economic model (revenue engine, key cost drivers)
  • 3–5 strategic priorities for the next 12–24 months
  • 5–7 key metrics
  • Major risks and assumptions

S6. Quarterly Strategy Refresh

Use when: Quarterly planning / reviews.

Help me run a quarterly strategy refresh.

Input:

  • Last quarter’s goals: {goals}
  • Actuals and key events: {results_and_events}

Tasks:

  1. Summarize what actually happened (facts only).
  2. Identify 3–5 meaningful insights or pattern shifts.
  3. Recommend changes to strategy or focus.
  4. Suggest 3–5 priorities for the next quarter with brief rationale.

2. Market, Customer & Offer

C1. Customer Segment Definition

Use when: Clarifying who the business truly serves.

Based on this description: {customer_and_market_description}, define 3–5 clear customer segments.

For each segment, describe:

  • Who they are (firmographics / demographics)
  • Key problems or jobs-to-be-done
  • Buying triggers and barriers
  • Current alternatives they use
  • Why they would pick us vs competitors

C2. Jobs-to-Be-Done Insight Extraction

Use when: You have interview notes and want structured insights.

Extract Jobs-to-Be-Done insights from these customer interview notes.

Input: {customer_interview_notes}

Tasks:

  1. Identify functional, emotional, and social jobs customers are trying to get done.
  2. Surface recurring pains and desired gains.
  3. List 5–10 key quotes or paraphrases that capture the essence of their needs.
  4. Suggest 3 implications for product/offer design.

C3. Value Proposition Sharpening

Use when: You want a tighter, more compelling value prop.

Sharpen the value proposition for this offer.

Input:

  • Offer description: {offer_description}
  • Target segment: {target_segment}

Tasks:

  1. Write a clear value proposition using the format:
    “For {segment}, who {problem}, we offer {solution} that {key_benefit}, unlike {main_alternative}.”
  2. Provide a version for website copy (2–3 short sentences).
  3. Provide a version for a sales conversation (spoken, concise).

C4. Pricing Options and Trade-offs

Use when: Exploring pricing models.

Generate pricing options and trade-offs for this offer.

Input: {offer_and_business_context}

Tasks:

  1. Propose 3–5 pricing models (e.g., flat fee, tiered, usage-based, retainer, performance-based).
  2. For each, state advantages, disadvantages, and ideal use case.
  3. Recommend 2 models to test first and why.
  4. Suggest 3 experiments to learn about willingness to pay.

C5. Competitive Landscape Matrix

Use when: You need a simple competitor overview.

Build a competitive landscape matrix for this market.

Input:

  • Market: {market_description}
  • Known competitors: {list_of_competitors_if_any}

Tasks:

  1. Identify 5–10 relevant competitors (including status quo / do-nothing).
  2. Create a simple comparison table by: price, quality, features, service, brand, distribution.
  3. Highlight where our client is meaningfully differentiated vs similar.
  4. Suggest 3 strategic responses.

3. Board, Advisors & Governance

B1. Virtual Board of Directors

Use when: You want to “invoke” a board for advice.

Act as a virtual board of directors for this company.

Company context: {company_summary}
Situation/decision: {decision_or_issue}

Board composition:

  • Member 1: Former CEO, operator-focused, conservative on risk
  • Member 2: CFO, strong in capital allocation and cash
  • Member 3: CMO/Go-To-Market expert
  • Member 4: Talent & culture expert
  • Member 5: Independent chair, keeps conversation focused

Tasks:

  1. Have each “member” give a short perspective on the decision.
  2. Surface the main trade-offs and tensions.
  3. Converge on a recommended path with rationale.
  4. List 5 questions the real board should ask management.

B2. Board Memo Drafting

Use when: Preparing a board or advisory memo.

Turn these rough notes into a concise, board-ready memo.

Input: {raw_notes}
Desired length: {e.g._1–2_pages}

Structure the memo as:

  • Purpose of the memo (decision / update / risk)
  • Background and context
  • Key facts and data
  • Options considered
  • Recommendation and rationale
  • Risks, mitigations, and open questions

B3. Board Meeting Agenda Design

Use when: Planning a board or advisory meeting.

Design a focused board/advisory meeting agenda for {meeting_duration}.

Input:

  • Company context: {summary}
    Key decisions or topics: {topics}

Tasks:

  1. Propose an agenda with time boxes.
  2. Separate “decision items” from “discussion/info items”.
  3. Indicate where materials should be pre-read vs discussed in the room.
  4. Suggest 3 ways to keep the conversation at the right altitude (board vs ops).

B4. Board Pack Structure Checklist

Use when: Designing a standard board pack template.

Create a standard structure and checklist for a recurring board pack for this company.

Context: {company_stage_and_industry}

Deliver:

  1. Section-by-section outline (e.g., CEO letter, financials, metrics, strategic topics).
  2. For each section, list what must be included (tables, charts, narrative).
  3. Suggest a simple “traffic light” summary page for key metrics and risks.

4. Meetings & Facilitation

F1. High-Stakes Meeting Design

Use when: Designing an important leadership/board/client meeting.

Design a high-stakes meeting to achieve the following outcomes: {outcomes}.

Context: {participants,_history,_politics_if_any}
Duration: {meeting_length}

Tasks:

  1. Propose a detailed agenda with time blocks and objectives.
  2. Suggest facilitation methods (e.g., silent writing, round-robin, breakouts).
  3. Highlight likely points of conflict or derailment and how to handle them.
  4. Define what “success” looks like at the end of the meeting.

F2. Meeting Brief (for Participants)

Use when: Sending a short brief before a key meeting.

Draft a short, clear meeting brief for participants.

Input:

  • Meeting objective: {objective}
  • Participants: {list}
  • Agenda outline: {agenda}

The brief should include:

  • Why this meeting matters (purpose)
  • What decisions or outputs are expected
  • What participants should review or bring
  • How we will run the time

F3. Pre-Read Creation

Use when: Converting notes into a pre-read.

Turn the following notes into a structured pre-read for an upcoming meeting.

Input: {notes_and_data}
Audience: {executive/board/team}

Tasks:

  1. Create a clear structure (headings and subheadings).
  2. Separate facts/data from interpretation and recommendation.
  3. Add 3–5 questions for participants to consider before the meeting.

F4. Post-Meeting Debrief & Summary

Use when: After a key meeting.

Summarize the following meeting as if for a busy executive who could not attend.

Input: {meeting_notes_or_transcript}

Provide:

  1. 5–7 bullet executive summary.
  2. Key decisions made.
  3. Open issues / parking lot.
  4. Action items with owner and due date where possible.

F5. Decision & Action Log

Use when: Creating a simple decision/action record.

From the following notes, construct a clean decision and action log.

Input: {messy_notes}

Output as two tables:

  • Decisions (ID, decision, date, owner, rationale).
  • Actions (ID, action, owner, due date, status, notes).

5. Leadership, Team & Org

L1. Leadership 360 Synthesis

Use when: You have input about a leader from multiple sources.

Synthesize leadership feedback into a concise 360-style view.

Input: {feedback_notes,_interviews,_survey_snippets}

Tasks:

  1. Summarize strengths with concrete examples.
  2. Summarize development areas with concrete examples.
  3. Describe the impact of current behavior on the team and results.
  4. Propose 3–5 specific behaviors to practice over the next quarter.

L2. Team Health Check

Use when: Diagnosing a leadership or functional team.

Assess the health of this team based on the information below.

Input: {team_description,_conflicts,_performance_signals}

Output:

  1. A brief assessment across: trust, clarity, accountability, conflict, results.
  2. 3–5 key issues affecting performance.
  3. 3 experiments or interventions for the next 60–90 days.

L3. Role Clarity & Accountability

Use when: Clarifying roles.

Help clarify roles and accountabilities using a simple structure.

Input: {list_of_roles_and_responsibilities}

Tasks:

  1. For each role, summarize purpose and key outcomes.
  2. Suggest a simple RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) for major processes.
  3. Highlight overlaps, gaps, and conflicts.

L4. Difficult Conversation Script

Use when: Preparing a hard conversation with a leader or team member.

Draft a script and structure for a difficult conversation.

Context: {situation_and_person}
Desired outcome: {desired_outcome}

Provide:

  1. A simple structure (opening, core message, examples, listening, next steps).
  2. Suggested phrases that are clear and respectful.
  3. Risks to avoid (defensiveness, blame) and how to mitigate them.

L5. Delegation & Time Audit

Use when: Helping a leader free capacity.

Help a leader audit their time and identify delegation opportunities.

Input: {description_of_current_workload}

Tasks:

  1. Categorize activities into: must-be-me, could-be-delegated, should-stop.
  2. Suggest 3–5 concrete delegation moves.
  3. Propose 3 rules or principles for how they should allocate time in the next 90 days.

6. Operations & Process

O1. Process Mapping & Swimlanes

Use when: You want a simple process map (without drawing it yourself).

Convert the following description into a process map described in text using swimlanes.

Input: {process_description}

Output:

  1. List main stages from trigger to outcome.
  2. Identify who (role or team) owns each step.
  3. Highlight handoffs and potential failure points.

O2. Bottleneck & Constraint Analysis

Use when: Throughput or reliability is an issue.

Identify operational bottlenecks and constraints in this process or business.

Input: {process_or_business_context}

Tasks:

  1. Describe the flow of work in simple stages.
  2. Identify the likely constraint(s) limiting throughput or quality.
  3. Suggest 3 experiments to relieve constraints cheaply before major investment.

O3. SOP Drafting

Use when: Formalizing a recurring process.

Turn these notes into a simple Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

Input: {rough_steps_and_notes}

SOP should include:

  • Purpose and scope
  • Preconditions / prerequisites
  • Step-by-step instructions
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Quality checks and common failure modes

O4. Service Delivery Quality Review

Use when: Reviewing how work is delivered to customers.

Assess service delivery quality based on the notes below.

Input: {customer_feedback,_internal_notes,_SLAs}

Tasks:

  1. Summarize strengths and weaknesses in delivery.
  2. Identify 3–5 recurring issues or defects.
  3. Propose 3 practical improvements for the next 60–90 days.

7. Finance & Metrics

Fm1. Financial Snapshot & KPI Design

Use when: Getting a quick view of the business.

Create a financial and KPI snapshot for this business.

Input: {basic_financials_and_business_context}

Tasks:

  1. Summarize revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, profit (simple, high-level).
  2. Propose 5–10 core KPIs across: growth, profitability, cash, operations, customer.
  3. Suggest a simple monthly reporting format for management.

Fm2. Cash Flow Scenario Planning

Use when: Cash is a concern or growth requires investment.

Help build simple cash flow scenarios for the next {time_horizon}.

Input: {current_revenue_costs_cash}

Tasks:

  1. Describe a base case (status quo).
  2. Describe a downside and an upside case.
  3. Highlight triggers that would cause a shift in actions (e.g., cash thresholds).
  4. Suggest 3 actions to strengthen cash position.

Fm3. Unit Economics Analysis

Use when: You need per-unit / per-customer economics.

Analyze unit economics for this product/service.

Input: {pricing,_direct_costs,_delivery_model}

Output:

  1. Explain revenue and cost per unit/customer as best as possible from the data.
  2. Estimate contribution margin per unit.
  3. Identify the 2–3 most important levers to improve unit economics.

Fm4. Management Dashboard Outline

Use when: Specifying what should be on a dashboard.

Design a simple management dashboard for this business.

Input: {business_context_and_goals}

Tasks:

  1. Group metrics into: growth, profitability, cash, customer, operations, people.
  2. For each category, list 3–5 metrics, with how often they should be reviewed.
  3. Suggest visualizations (e.g., line, bar, table) in words.

8. Change & Implementation

X1. 90-Day Execution Plan

Use when: Converting strategy into a 90-day plan.

Turn these strategic priorities into a 90-day execution plan.

Input: {strategic_priorities}

Output:

  1. 3–5 key outcomes for the next 90 days.
  2. For each outcome, list initiatives, owners, milestones.
  3. Suggest a simple weekly or bi-weekly review cadence.

X2. Change Readiness Assessment

Use when: Before launching a major change.

Assess change readiness for this organization regarding the following initiative: {initiative_description}.

Input: {org_context}

Tasks:

  1. Evaluate readiness across: leadership, culture, capacity, clarity, systems.
  2. Identify 3–5 risks to adoption.
  3. Suggest 3 preparatory actions before launch.

X3. Implementation Risk Register

Use when: Tracking implementation risk.

Create a risk register for the implementation of this plan.

Input: {implementation_plan_or_summary}

Output as a table:

  • Risk description
  • Category (people, process, tech, financial, external)
  • Likelihood and impact
  • Owner
  • Mitigation actions

X4. Change Communication Plan

Use when: Communicating change internally.

Build a simple change communication plan.

Initiative: {initiative}
Audience(s): {key_audiences}

Tasks:

  1. Clarify core messages (what, why, how, when, what it means for them).
    Map messages to audiences and channels.
  2. Suggest a 60–90 day communication timeline.

9. Multi-Step Consulting Workflows

W1. New Client Discovery Workflow

Use when: Starting with a new client.

Act as my behind-the-scenes assistant for a new client discovery process.

Client context: {what_you_know_so_far}

Tasks:

  1. Propose a 3–5 step discovery process (meetings, docs, analyses).
  2. For each step, suggest: questions to ask, artefacts to collect, analyses to run.
  3. Recommend which prompts from this library to use at each step.

W2. Strategy Project Workflow

Use when: Running a discrete strategy engagement.

Help design the workflow for a strategy project for this client.

Client and project context: {context}
Duration: {e.g._6–12_weeks}

Tasks:

  1. Split the project into phases (e.g., Discover, Diagnose, Design, Decide, Plan).
  2. For each phase, define objectives, activities, and outputs.
  3. Map relevant prompts from this library to each phase.

W3. Quarterly Business Review Workflow

Use when: Recurring quarterly reviews with a client.

Design a Quarterly Business Review (QBR) workflow I can reuse with clients.

Client type: {SMB/_mid-market/_industry}

Tasks:

  1. Outline pre-work (data collection, surveys, interviews)
  2. Outline the QBR meeting structure and outputs.
  3. Outline post-QBR follow-up.
  4. Recommend which prompts in this library to use before, during, and after the QBR.

FInal Thoughts

If your organization is based in Victoria, Vancouver Island, or anywhere across Canada and you want deeper support implementing these tools, Values Driven Achievement offers strategic advisory, executive coaching, and facilitation designed to strengthen leadership and drive long-term business resilience. Our Built for Hard™ approach blends behavioural science, systems thinking, and practical execution frameworks to help teams scale sustainably while staying aligned to their core values. Reach out if you’d like help applying this prompt library inside your business or customizing it for your next strategic planning session, board meeting, or leadership retreat.

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Adam Kreek and his team are on a mission to positively impact organizational cultures and leaders who make things happen.

He authored the bestselling business book, The Responsibility Ethic: 12 Strategies Exceptional People Use to Do the Work and Make Success Happen. 

Want to increase your leadership achievement? Learn more about Kreek’s coaching here.

Want to book a keynote that leaves a lasting impact? Learn more about Kreek’s live event service here.

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