Getting Psyched for Strategy
Let’s be honest—strategic planning has a bit of a bad rap. It can feel like a necessary evil at best and a complete waste of time at worst. Many organizations have endured the long, arduous process of making a plan, only to see it sit on a shelf collecting dust while the day-to-day grind takes center stage. Sound familiar?
But what if we took a bricolage approach to strategic planning? Instead of seeing it as a cumbersome, monolithic task, we could piece together what we have—our insights, ideas, and resources—and craft a plan that feels alive and adaptable. What if strategic planning wasn’t a fixed blueprint, but a living mosaic that grows with your organization? Here’s how we can flip the script and get psyched for strategy.
But what if strategic planning didn’t have to feel this way? What if we reframed it as a tool that not only aligns your organization but also unlocks new possibilities, builds connection, and strengthens your team? Here’s how we can flip the script and get psyched for strategy.
Why Strategic Planning Gets a Bad Rap
Too Long, Too Painful: Some planning processes drag on, losing momentum before they even finish.
Expensive: The norm is to hire a consultant to help with the process, but this is often too pricey for social impact orgs with tight budgets.
Top down creation: The strategy is formulated in back rooms with little input from the folks doing the work. Then it’s an uphill battle to gain buy-in.
Disconnected from Reality: Plans often feel theoretical or disconnected from the daily work of the organization.
Overloaded Teams: There’s a fear that once a plan is made, it will be bolted on top of existing workloads, adding more stress rather than clarity.
Lack of Follow-Through: The plan gets created, but no one makes space for it to live and breathe—so it slowly fades into irrelevance.
Reframing the Process: What Strategic Planning Can Create (If Done Well)
Strategic planning, when done thoughtfully, becomes more than just a document or a to-do list. It offers unexpected, meaningful outcomes that can elevate your organization:
Shared Purpose and Alignment: Planning gives your team a chance to pause and align on why you’re doing what you do. When everyone understands the vision and their role within it, the work feels more connected and meaningful. Research shows that clarity and purpose are directly linked to employee engagement and productivity.
New Ideas and Fresh Perspectives: The process itself can spark innovation—when you step back from daily operations, new possibilities emerge. Strategic planning provides a space for lateral thinking and creative problem-solving, which has been shown to improve organizational resilience.
Deeper Team Connections: Engaging in strategic conversations helps build trust and collaboration. Studies from Stanford Social Innovation Review show that teams with strong internal connections tend to perform better and innovate more effectively.
Build Buy-in Along the Way: Have you ever been presented a plan after never being asked about said plan? How did that feel and how did you respond? The common response ranges from an indifferent eye roll to a sideways, WTF does that mean, expression. When people are brought along for the process they feel invested in the outcome.
Saying No to Say Yes: Strategic planning is as much about saying no as it is about saying yes. It’s about focusing on the right opportunities and having the courage to let go of what doesn’t fit—even if it’s something you love. Saying no as a team gives permission to focus and channels your collective energy into areas that drive the most impact.
Building Your Strategy Muscles in Bite-Size Ways
Strategic planning doesn’t have to be a marathon—it can be a series of well-paced sprints. Organizations that build their “strategy muscles” over time are better equipped to adapt and thrive. Here are some ways to practice strategic planning in small, actionable bursts:
Quarterly Strategy Sprints: Focus on one or two strategic priorities each quarter. This helps your team build momentum and maintain alignment without feeling overwhelmed.
One-Year Planning Sessions: A full multi-year strategic plan isn’t always necessary. Sometimes, a one-year plan is all you need to stay on track while staying agile.
Workshops and Strategy Check-Ins: Regular strategy workshops can help your team stay connected to the big picture and adjust priorities as needed throughout the year.
A Strategy Sprint in Action
The team at Riverstone Community Initiative was feeling listless and scattered. They were passionate about their mission but found themselves pulled in too many directions, with no clear priorities. They knew that a full strategic planning process was out of reach—it was too time-consuming and resource-intensive for where they were. So, they decided to try something different: a quarterly strategy sprint.
With some initial skepticism but a shared desire for change, the team gathered to begin their first sprint. They started with reflection—looking back over the past few months to understand what had worked, what hadn’t, and where they felt stretched too thin. They approached it with a bricolage mindset—using what they already knew, the small successes they could build on, and the lessons learned from their challenges. They celebrated small wins, like successfully engaging more community volunteers, and acknowledged the frustrations, like an ongoing program that was taking more resources than expected without the desired impact.
Next, they moved into prioritization. They realized that they couldn’t keep doing everything, and it was time to say no to some activities. The after-school tutoring program, though beloved, was no longer serving their core mission this year. By pausing it, they could redirect energy to a promising new partnership with the local community college—a collaboration that could create real opportunities for youth employment and skills development. This decision was tough, but it felt right, and the team breathed a collective sigh of relief knowing they could focus their efforts.
Finally, they shifted to planning. Each team member took ownership of one strategic priority for the next quarter. They worked together to break these priorities into actionable, manageable tasks—tasks that were realistic and directly connected to their broader goals. As part of this process, they also created shared agreements on how they would work on these strategies, including how they would communicate updates, share issues, and problem-solve together. They agreed on regular check-ins, open channels for feedback, and a commitment to supporting one another when challenges arose.
By the end of their first quarterly strategy sprint plan, the team felt a renewed sense of clarity and direction. They knew what to focus on and, just as importantly, what to let go of. The process had not only aligned their work but also energized them to move forward with purpose. They realized that strategic planning didn’t need to be a daunting, all-or-nothing exercise—it could be a series of thoughtful, well-paced sprints that kept them moving in the right direction, one step at a time, using what they had and building as they went.
These quarterly sprints are like reps at the gym—each one builds your strategy muscles, making your team stronger and more adaptable.
Executing the Plan: Moving from Intent to Action
Once you have your strategic plan, the magic lies in how you integrate it into your work—without just layering it on top of what you’re already doing. This takes intention and space. Here’s how you can avoid common pitfalls:
Create Space, Not Clutter: A strategic plan isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing the right things. Identify areas where current activities may need to pause or shift to make room for new priorities. Make space by letting go of tasks that no longer align with your strategy.
Manageable + Stretch Opportunities: Use your strategy to build in a mix of goals—some that feel doable now and others that stretch your organization’s capacity. This helps keep momentum going while nudging your team to grow.
Create Traction through Experimenting: Getting started can be the hardest step. Finding a “safe to try” experiment to get started can be your easiest way to move into execution.
Embed Strategy into Everyday Work: Instead of thinking of the plan as a separate, one-off initiative, integrate it into your existing systems. Use it as a framework for decision-making, staff meetings, and project planning to ensure alignment along the way.
Ready to Get Psyched About Your Strategy?
Strategic planning doesn’t have to be painful or overwhelming—it can be empowering, energizing, and transformative when done right. The key is to shift the mindset from planning as a chore to planning as an opportunity to strengthen your team, spark new ideas, and create meaningful change.
If you're ready to rethink your approach to strategy, I offer quarterly sprints, one-year planning sessions, and workshops to help your organization build strategy muscles over time. Let’s connect and get psyched about what’s possible! 🚀
