Base Case Fallback#

Facilitator Note

FACILITATOR-ONLY. Default scoring and narration for any company that does not submit a Decision Worksheet by the round deadline, or where the facilitator is running an unfilled seat.

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When to Use Fallback#

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Default Scores by Scenario#

When a Decision Worksheet is missing or invalid, apply the following default score to that company for the round:

Why the Standard Fallback Is -1, Not Worse#

The fallback is not a punishment. The exercise is intuition-building. A participant who cannot or does not submit a worksheet still has their company in the room, and the company's strategic position is real. The fallback assumes the company makes a status-quo decision — operationally fine, but not capturing any strategic opportunity.

When the Fallback Should NOT Apply#

• The participant misses a small field (e.g., didn't fill in the Continuity Note specifically) — score the rest of the worksheet on its merits
• The participant submits late by less than 60 seconds — accept the submission
• The participant submits a single-sentence decision without bands — score the sentence; note bands as Material but manageable, 3–12 month time-to-impact, Medium complexity (default-defensible)

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Default Narration for Fallback#

When narrating a fallback in Resolution phase or outcome narration, use neutral framing:

"[Company]: a status-quo year. No major strategic moves. Operational continuation of existing trajectory."

For Y2 outcome narration on a Y1 fallback:

"[Company]: your Y1 was operational continuation. By early 2027, you have neither captured nor lost meaningful ground; the world is moving and you are running pace. Going into Y2, the strategic question is whether you commit to a direction or stay in the operational lane."

For Y5 narration on a Y1+Y2 fallback (likely Steady trajectory):

"[Company]: your Y1 and Y2 were operational continuations. Your Y3–Y4 stance of [Operational discipline by default, or whatever stance was submitted in Y2 if any] played out as expected. By 2030, you are roughly where you started — neither dominant nor diminished. Y5 is your first real strategic moment in the exercise."

The framing should preserve the participant's dignity and give them a real Y5 entry point.

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Defaults for Specific Companies (Optional Calibration)#

If running smaller rosters and the facilitator needs to play unfilled seats, here are baseline defaults per company. These reflect the company's most plausible status-quo Y1 decision based on their packet.

These defaults are status-quo by design — they reflect "what the company would most likely do absent a clear strategic departure." They earn approximately 0 Strategic Fit and 0 to +1 Execution Risk in scoring.

Use these only when a participant cannot engage or when the facilitator is running an unfilled seat. Do not impose them on participants who are present and engaging.

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Cumulative Impact of Fallback#

A company that takes the standard fallback in both Y1 and Y2 will have a cumulative score of approximately -2 to -4, placing them in Steady or Headwind Health Signal — not Crisis. They persist into Y5 with constrained but real strategic options.

A company that takes the fallback in only one round (Y1 or Y2) and submits credibly in the other will likely net Steady.

If two participants take fallback in both rounds, the room will have a noticeably quieter dynamic — fewer cross-company impacts, less Resolution phase action. The facilitator can compensate by inviting them into the cross-company discussion more directly.

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When a Participant Wakes Up Late#

If a participant takes the fallback in Y1 because they were absorbing the format, they may come alive in Y2. That's fine — score Y2 on its merits. The Y2 outcome narration can frame the Y1 fallback as "a year of preparation; you've now committed to direction X."

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Document Version: Project Threshold V8.1 — Base Case Fallback Last Updated: May 2026