The paper solves the problem of the relationship of external diagnosis and self-diagnosis of readiness of teachers to innovative activity. It highlights major disadvantages of measurement tools that are used to this process. The author demonstrates an alternative approach to harmonizing the diagnosis, based on a modular diagnostic model, general diagnostic tools, to synchronize the management tasks of the process of readiness for innovation and self-innovation. The proposed approach, in the author's opinion, creates the necessary conditions for improving the quality of innovative activity of both teachers and ongoing modernization of education.