Intent-based Outcomes

Intent is the guiding force behind all strategic, tactical, and operational planning. It provides direction without prescribing rigid solutions, allowing teams the flexibility to adapt while staying aligned with overarching objectives. In modern strategy and Agile execution, intent-based planning ensures that organisations focus not just on tasks but on the meaningful changes they seek to create—outcomes.

An outcome is a meaningful and fundamental change in the status quo due to some work. Unlike outputs, which measure activity, outcomes measure impact. Successful organisations do not merely complete projects; they achieve outcome-driven success that is measurable, valuable, and aligned with strategic intent.

The Four Types of Outcomes

Outcomes do not always unfold as expected. While we aim for good and intended results, other possibilities emerge in complex systems:

1. Good and Intended – The ideal scenario where a planned action leads to a positive and expected outcome.

2. Good and Unintended – Unexpected benefits that emerge as a byproduct of work.

3. Bad and Unintended – Negative consequences that arise due to unforeseen factors.

4. Bad and Intended – Harmful or disruptive changes that were foreseen but pursued for a strategic reason.

Each outcome must be considered and measured to ensure that efforts align with the intended direction and contribute to meaningful value.

Value and the Nature of Change

Value is the often intangible change that results from work and contributes to achieving an outcome. While outputs (such as deliverables, features, or processes) can be counted, value is perceived through impact, usability, and the long-term benefits derived by stakeholders. Measuring value involves considering:

• Business Value – How the outcome improves revenue, reduces costs, or increases efficiency.

• Customer Value – How end-users experience enhanced interactions with the product or service.

• Operational Value – How internal workflows and team capabilities evolve to support strategic goals.

• Social or Ethical Value – How changes contribute to societal, environmental, or ethical improvements.

The Iterative Planning Stack: Connecting Intent to Execution

To translate intent into measurable outcomes, teams must navigate multiple levels of planning, each with its cycles of feedback and adaptation. The Iterative Planning Stack (see image below) provides a structured approach:

• Directional Intent: Guides vision, mission, and strategic direction.

• Strategic Intent: Defines overarching goals and quarterly outcomes.

• Tactical Intent: Breaks down strategic goals into actionable release plans.

• Executional Intent: Translates plans into iteration goals that focus on short-term objectives.

• Operational Intent: Ensures daily planning aligns with immediate priorities, resolving blockers and optimising flow.

Each level in the planning stack feeds into the next, ensuring alignment between long-term vision and daily execution while integrating continuous feedback loops. These feedback loops allow organisations to measure outcomes, adapt strategies to minimise risk exposure and refine execution to maximise value.

The planning sessions distil a higher level of intent into a lower level, eventually turning strategy into operations.

Intent-Based Outcomes in Practice

An intent-based approach to outcomes ensures that every effort contributes meaningfully to the organisation’s goals. It shifts focus from simply "doing work" to achieving measurable impact.

To implement this approach effectively:

1. Clearly Define Intent – Articulate why the work matters and what change it aims to create.

2. Structure Planning Iteratively – Align strategy, tactics, execution, and operations in a continuous feedback loop.

3. Measure Outcomes, Not Just Outputs – Evaluate success based on impact, not just activity.

4. Adapt Based on Feedback – Adjust priorities based on insights gained at each level of planning.

By embracing intent-based outcomes, organisations foster agility, resilience, and sustained value creation in an ever-evolving environment.