Strategy is for the Brave
We don’t do strategic planning that sits comfortably in the ordinary middle
The failed practice of “strategic planning” is safe. It’s neutral. Middle of the road. And doesn’t ruffle feathers.
It’s also uninspiring, not actionable, and fails to uphold its promise as a trust-building tool.
Brave leaders make choices under constraints. They recognize tradeoffs and disproportionately invest where they can make real impact. And they communicate like they care.
That’s the type of strategy we facilitate.
We help public-sector organizations develop strategy that is clear, credible, and actionable — by integrating leadership decision-making, stakeholder engagement, and communication from the start.
Why Strategic Planning Falls Flat
In our experience, strategic plans struggle because the process itself works against leaders making strategic decisions.
Common strategic planning pitfalls include:
- Engagement that asks stakeholders for their wish list of improvements, rather than strategizing how to make the organization’s work feasible and impactful
- Consensus-driven planning that avoids tradeoffs and dilutes priorities
- Plans that focus on vision and values statements, but lack decision logic
- Rollouts that explain a finish line, without building understanding or ownership of how to run the race… or why we’re running at all
Over time, these approaches create frustration. Staff are unsure how the plan applies to their work. Stakeholders don’t see follow-through. And trust slowly erodes.
Our approach To Strategy
Strategy is a set of choices made under constraints. Strategic planning is being all things to all people. Our approach to do things different centers around these core principles:
What a Strategy engagement includes
Strategy engagements typically include:
- Designing and facilitating a purposeful stakeholder engagement process
- Integrating engagement directly into the development of the strategy
- Clarifying priorities, tradeoffs, and success measures
- Supporting leadership through key decisions
- Developing a clear rollout and communication approach so the plan can be understood and used
Rather than treating planning, engagement, and communication as separate efforts, we bring them together into a single, coordinated process.
When this is the right fit
This approach to strategy is a good fit when:
- You want a plan that guides decisions, not just documents intent
- Stakeholder trust and understanding matter to implementation
- Tradeoffs are real and need to be addressed honestly
- You want support beyond a single workshop or deliverable
Because of the scope and stakes involved, engagements of this magnitude are typically delivered through our Alliance engagement model.