One page. Four levels. Put a client on the map in about two minutes, and name the single next step that actually moves them — instead of debating which finance hire they need.
The levels are cumulative. You can't manage what you can't trust, and you can't forecast what you can't measure — so the next step is always the one directly above where they sit, never the one they wish they were ready for.
Next step: Get a reliable monthly close in place. Nothing else is stable until this is.
Next step: Add forward-looking measurables — a 13-week cash view and trusted Scorecard financials.
Next step: Layer in forecasting and decision support — move from managing to steering.
Next step: Sustain it, and use finance to pursue the opportunities the Vision calls for.
Books → Close → Scorecard → Cash → Insight → Decisions
A company's level is set by the first link that breaks. If the close is unreliable, everything downstream is decoration — which is why a company at Level 1 hiring for strategy usually stays at Level 1 with a more expensive person in the seat.
A facilitation tool from The Finance Seat — an independent finance resource for the EOS community. Free to use and share with clients. Full library and diagnostics at financeforeos.com.
Use it when a leadership team is arguing about who to hire before they've agreed on what's broken. Read the four levels aloud and let them place themselves — most teams land a level higher than the evidence supports, and the gap between their answer and yours is the conversation worth having. Then hold them to the single next step for the level they're actually at.
Pair it with the Finance Readiness Check for the evidence, the interactive diagnostic if they want a scored result, or read the full write-up of the model.