What must change, what is preventing progress and what outcome does leadership need to achieve?

A useful first discussion establishes the business issue, its sponsor, the timing and the responsibility required. The appropriate route may be a focused review, continuing advisory work or an executive implementation mandate.

What makes a useful brief?

• The commercial challenge and why it matters now.

• Who sponsors the decision and who will own implementation.

• The result the organisation needs to achieve.

• The important dates, market constraints or dependencies.

Make the commercial question specific enough to examine.