Why Strategic Planning Doesn’t Work

Let’s face it: strategy is sexy. Strategy is fun. Strategy gives us a chance to be creative. In fact, when CEOs are frustrated that they’re not growing fast enough, consistently enough or profitably enough, they tend to focus on their efforts on debating which new strategy will take them where they want to go.

  • Should we modify our business model?
  • Are we playing in the wrong sandbox?
  • Should we focus on new products? New markets? New geographies?
  • Is our value proposition strong enough?

These are all great questions. I work with my clients to answer all of these strategic questions and more.

The problem is that traditional strategic planning happens once a year or once every few years. A smart, dedicated team spends a few months analyzing their business, discussing key strategies and setting goals for the organization. Then, the beautiful document they’ve created sits on a shelf and gathers dust. Why is that?