worksystems.design/Essentials/Direct Strategy

Direct Strategy

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FL3 Connection Patterns
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Key Info
Direct Strategy enables specialized strategic work to flow directly from FL3 to FL1 teams without requiring coordination through FL2.
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Strategic work flows directly from FL3 to FL1 without FL2 coordination, effective for specialized expertise needing no team interaction.
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What This Pattern Is

Strategic work comes directly from FL3 to FL1 (operational teams) without an FL2 coordination layer. This pattern works when you have specialized expertise that doesn't require coordination with other teams.
This is the pattern of direct connection without coordination.

How It Works

Your FL3 strategic work system creates flight items that need specialized, focused work. Instead of going through a coordination layer, these items go directly to the FL1 team that owns that expertise.
Example: "Evaluate outsourcing our cloud infrastructure to Provider X" (strategic question)
  • Doesn't need coordination between teams
  • Goes directly to the Infrastructure & Operations team
  • That team evaluates, researches, and delivers the answer back to FL3
Another example: "Research compliance requirements for GDPR 3.0" (strategic work)
  • Only the Legal/Compliance team needs to handle this
  • Direct from FL3 to that FL1 team
  • No benefit from coordinating with product, ops, or other areas
Key dynamic: The strategic work is specialized enough that it doesn't intersect with other coordination areas. It's pure expertise work.

Typical Use

Use this pattern when:
  • You have specialized support functions that work on strategic initiatives
  • Strategic work doesn't require cross-team coordination
  • The work is expertise-driven rather than integration-driven
  • You want to reduce unnecessary coordination overhead
Real-world examples:
  • Legal team evaluating strategic contracts or regulations
  • Security team handling strategic security initiatives
  • Finance team evaluating strategic acquisitions or investments
  • HR team developing strategic talent/culture initiatives

Key Characteristics

  • FL3 Strategic Work System: Creates flight items for specialized work
  • FL1 Specialist Team: Receives items directly; executes specialized work without coordination
  • No FL2 layer: Coordination not needed for this type of work
  • Autonomy: High for the specialist team; their work isn't blocked by other teams
  • Coordination: Minimal—mainly reporting results back to FL3
  • Size: Works at any size; typical for support/specialist functions

When to Combine

This pattern coexists with others:
Common Strategy for product teams, Direct Strategy for specialist teams teams.