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What this category is for

Direction resources help you decide what to do — and why.

Once the problem is clear, Direction documents provide structured ways to move forward. They translate understanding into defensible choices, showing you how to approach a challenge, what sequence to follow, and what trade-offs to consider — without jumping straight into tools or execution.

This is where ambiguity gets reduced and confidence increases.

When to use Direction

Use Direction when:

You understand the problem but need a clear approach

Multiple options exist and the wrong choice is costly

You need a method you can explain and defend to executives

You want alignment before committing resources

Types of resources you’ll find here

How-to guides – Step-by-step approaches for addressing a defined CIO challenge

Frameworks and models – Structured ways to evaluate options and make decisions

Playbooks – Practical guidance for navigating complex initiatives end-to-end

Maturity models – Tools to assess current state and identify realistic next steps

Decision frameworks – Methods that make trade-offs explicit and defensible

What you’ll get

Clear methods for moving from insight to action

Logical sequencing that prevents false starts

Decision confidence grounded in structure, not opinion

Approaches you can adapt to your organization’s context

What Direction is not

Not templates or worksheets

Not implementation tools

Not consulting advice tailored to one organization

Direction is about choosing the right path, not doing the work for you.

Why it matters

Most CIO initiatives fail not because of poor execution, but because the wrong direction was chosen — or never clearly chosen at all.
Direction gives you the confidence to commit, align stakeholders, and move forward deliberately.

Premium2-Add-Ons (Direction)

APM Decision-Making in Practice: A CIO Case Study