Intent Integrity

Direction Quality

Direction quality concerns the alternatives, evidence, assumptions, expected causal relationships, uncertainties, and trade-offs considered when choosing the target state and approach through which to pursue the established intent.

What is direction quality?

It draws on decision quality as a foundation for well-founded reasoning, applied to the distinct choice of how the established intent should be pursued. Stronger reasoning should improve the likelihood of making choices that preserve more of what remains reasonably achievable within that intent.

The Intent Loop with direction highlightedHighlighted: Direction, where the organization chooses what to change and the approach for changing it.Change capabilityIntentIntent qualityDirectionDirection qualityExecutionIntent tracingValidationOutcome validationEvolutionCapability evolution
Highlighted: Direction, where the organization chooses what to change and the approach for changing it.

Weak Direction

Weak direction is the characteristic vulnerability of the Direction function: choosing how to pursue the established intent on reasoning that is poorly founded.

It may reflect weak evidence, untested assumptions, inadequate consideration of alternatives, poorly understood relationships between the chosen approach, target state, and intended outcomes, or insufficiently examined trade-offs. It opens the expected direction gap.

Not a bad outcome. The weakness is in the reasoning through which direction was chosen, and it is present whether or not the change later succeeds.

What it is not

Not a guarantee that the chosen direction preserves all of the potential available within the established intent. Its purpose is to strengthen the reasoning through which direction is chosen.

Where it sits

Direction quality is the practice of the Direction function. It draws on decision quality as a foundation for well-founded reasoning about how the established intent should be pursued.

Primary effect: reduces the expected direction gap.

  • Direction (function): Direction quality is the practice of the Direction function, protecting against weak direction.
  • Weak Direction: Direction quality is the practice of the Direction function, protecting against weak direction.
  • Decision Quality: Intent quality and direction quality draw on decision quality as a foundation for well-founded reasoning.
  • Direction Gap: Direction quality reduces the expected potential loss in choosing direction.

Referenced by

Cite this page

Rozema, Lars. “Direction Quality.” Intent Integrity. https://www.intent-integrity.com/direction-quality. n.d.

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