Are strategies still relevant?

Top tips for strategic planning in uncertain times.

I’m a big fan of the strategic planning process. There’s something wonderfully engaging about the academic questions of a traditional strategy session. I also love a good, one-page strategic plan, and its ability to distil down what really matters.

In working with various companies post-Covid, however, I’ve seen that we’re living in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) times. We’re dealing with a lot more environmental unknowns and unpredictabilities. 

That doesn’t mean the process of creating a strategy to anticipate, predict and prepare is not helpful, but we need flexibility in our plans and organisation to allow for spontaneity and responsiveness. 

Here are my top strategic planning tips:

1. Pay attention.

Look at what’s happening around you from many perspectives and from different viewpoints. Consider the perspectives of your various stakeholders, the wider macro and micro environments, and the gems that come from conversations with your friends and networks. Networking has never been more important for strength and understanding. 

2. Understand your purpose.
   Invest time in your ‘why’. This is your pillar of direction during uncertainty when plans are made redundant or need to adapt (and adapt again!). 

3. Develop leadership skills and qualities.

Build your leadership competencies so you can respond well to uncertainty and stay creative and flexible in thought. As a rule, you don’t want to be slaves to a plan. Understand the plan and understand when it’s appropriate to challenge and change it.

4. Use short-term milestones.
   I love to have a clear purpose, a shared vision, and some long-term goals. These give a great sense of direction, even as the journey wanders. But then set three-month action plans, so these wider goals are revisited frequently. Respond to changes and challenges that emerge at these shorter-term intervals.

5. Use a facilitator.
   I know I’m biased here, but facilitators are a real asset. You want your facilitator to be a neutral body who can ask questions, challenge biases, and lead discussion. When an internal person facilitates, it’s often hard for them to participate freely without risk of their authority having an impact on the honesty of the viewpoints being expressed.

6. Make it light and creative.
   When I facilitate strategy, I spend a lot of time managing the mental state of the participants and how they engage in the planning. Traditionally, strategy sessions can be very serious – but we are smarter, clearer, more perceptive, more creative and more intuitive when we are lighter, more relaxed and having fun.

7. Love where you are.

Each timeframe presents unique challenges, and those also offer great ways to rise to the occasion and grow as a result. Appreciate where you are now. I have seen many companies fall in love with their vision, but then resent where they are at right now or become impatient to get there. This approach risks denial creeping in, and the wrong actions being taken in the short-term. You have got to be alright with exactly where you are so that you stay present and clear. 

8. Celebrate and debrief the progress.
   Progress deserves praise and analysis, not just the outcomes. This keeps motivation and encouragement high, and your team in a growth mindset. So learning to acknowledge and encourage progress is a great skill to develop.

9. Look at both the actions and the culture.
   Getting forward movement isn’t just about actions, but also the culture, and the leadership skills and qualities needed to pull it off. So often great plans are created and handed to teams that cannot deliver to them. I do not think culture eats strategy for lunch – but that they are necessary partners.
   
10. Know your starting point.
    Spend time really getting a clear understanding of your starting point. This is probably the single biggest failing I see in many strategies. If we don’t have an accurate perception of our skills, capabilities, engagement, relationships and preparedness right now, then we can’t know what steps will get us to where we need to go. 

Navigating uncertainty requires a strategic approach that balances foresight with adaptability, purpose with flexibility. By embracing these principles, you can steer your organisation through turbulent waters with clarity and resilience.