BUSINESS DIRECTION
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(Business Direction is outlined below as a leadership engagement. Brand Direction applies the same discipline at a vertical level and is outlined separately.)
In many organizations, leadership intent — the priorities, beliefs and directional judgments that guide what an organization is trying to do and how it chooses to do it — exists, but it is not always articulated clearly enough or supported with enough structure to reliably guide decisions, initiatives and systems over time.
As work accelerates and responsibility spreads, intent is interpreted unevenly and its impact weakens. Business Direction exists to address that gap.
Business Direction exists to ensure leadership intent survives interpretation as the organization operates and evolves.
What a Business Direction Engagement Does
A Business Direction engagement ensures leadership intent is:
Clearly articulated

So priorities, tradeoffs and objectives are unambiguous and usable

Properly structured

So intent can guide decisions, initiatives and systems, not just conversations
Actively stewarded

So direction continues to influence real work as conditions change

When Business Direction Is the Right Engagement
Business Direction is most often engaged when leadership is facing:
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Growth, transition or redefinition
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Increasing complexity across teams, platforms or systems
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Major initiatives where misalignment carries real risk
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AI, automation or scale that accelerates execution faster than judgment
What the Work Looks Like
Business Direction engagements are tailored to the organization, but commonly include:
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Leadership discovery and direction clarification
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Positioning and framing of business-wide vision, mission, objectives & strategies
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Strategic and narrative frameworks that guide decisions
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Pressure-testing priorities, initiatives and assumptions
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Advisory support on major decisions and investments
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Development of shared platforms and frameworks that embed direction into everyday work
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Guidance systems that help teams interpret and apply direction consistently
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Governance mechanisms that reinforce direction across initiatives, partners and systems
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Ongoing stewardship to ensure direction continues to guide work over time

How Business Direction Is Applied
Business Direction is most often applied at the whole-business level, where leadership intent must guide multiple teams, initiatives and systems.
In some cases, it is applied selectively to areas where clarity, risk or investment warrants additional rigor.
Relationship to Brand Direction
Brand Direction remains a critical part of Cohesion’s work.
Business Direction does not replace brand work. It expands its impact and reach.
Brand Direction applies Business Direction thinking at a vertical level, focused on a specific brand, product or initiative. While these engagements do not always require the full structural depth of whole-business work, they are approached with the same standards of clarity, structure and long-term effectiveness.
How Engagements Begin
Business Direction engagements begin with focused discovery to understand leadership priorities and how direction is currently articulated, structured and applied.
From there, Cohesion works directly with leadership to clarify direction, apply it to real work and steward its impact as the business operates and evolves.
Some engagements are time-bound. Others continue as the business grows or changes. In all cases, Cohesion operates as a trusted partner to leadership.
Ready to explore a Business Direction engagement?
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