Strategic Planning Should Be More Than a Soggy Sandwich
There’s something about corporate offsite meetings that sticks with you—and not always for the right reasons. When I worked in banking, every three years, our department was pulled away from day-to-day work for a full-day strategic planning session. We gathered in a conference room, with leadership in attendance, mapping out goals and priorities for the next three years.
At first, I was excited. Fresh out of my MBA program, I saw this as the ultimate case study—one with a real-world impact on my career. But my enthusiasm quickly faded. The reality? Leadership’s presence changed the room. No matter how much they reassured us that all opinions were valued, it was clear that some voices carried more weight than others. Once we finished our part, leadership took everything to their own offsite, crafting the final plan in secrecy.
And then? Nothing.
No follow-up. No alignment. No communication back down the chain.
We never saw the final plan.
I never saw how my contributions—or anyone else’s—were put into action. Many companies put immense effort into crafting the perfect value proposition. They want to tell customers why they’re different, what sets them apart, and what they offer that competitors don’t.
But here’s the problem—customers, employees, and stakeholders don’t just buy into a value proposition. They buy into values. All I ever saw from those planning days was a massive investment in meetings, conference rooms, hotel stays, and soggy sandwich lunches that led to a document that never saw the light of day. And the worst part?
This is how strategic planning is handled in countless organizations.
A strong value proposition might attract interest in your company, but shared values create lasting loyalty. If leadership isn’t actively living out those values—if employees aren’t empowered to embody them—then no amount of clever messaging will make a difference. That’s why so many strategic plans fail. They’re built around transactional goals instead of deeply ingrained beliefs that guide everyday decisions.
How Strategic Planning Can Be Done Differently
A plan is only as good as its execution. Strategic planning isn’t just about setting fiscal goals or hitting KPIs—it’s about anchoring those goals in your company’s core values. True success happens when leadership, employees, and clients not only understand those values but actively live them every day. While financial targets and growth metrics are important, they are just one piece of the puzzle. The power of strategic planning lies in creating a culture where your company’s values drive everyday decisions and behaviors. Here are some practical ways to rethink strategic planning and transform your values from words on the wall to actions in the workplace.
1. Start with WHY
Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle framework—starting with WHY before defining what and how—ensures that every strategic initiative is rooted in purpose, not just profit. If your company isn’t crystal clear on why it exists beyond making money, your strategic plan will lack the foundation needed for real alignment.
2. Make it an Ongoing Conversation
Strategic planning isn’t a one-and-done event. It should be a continuous process with regular check-ins to track progress, adapt as needed, and reinforce alignment between leadership and employees. The creation of the plan isn’t the finish line—it’s halftime. Like housework, strategic planning is never truly done.
3. Involve the Whole Organization
Plans crafted in executive boardrooms without input from employees will never be fully embraced. Engaging teams at every level—before, during, and after the planning process—ensures that strategies aren’t just top-down mandates but shared commitments. And don’t forget to circle back to employees after creating the plan. Even if their ideas weren’t included, showing employees how their work contributes to the strategy – and reinforcing that message regularly, ensures they feel valued and aligned with the company’s goals.
4. Tie Strategy to Action
If a strategic plan doesn’t translate into daily decision-making, it’s useless. Companies need clear pathways for how their goals translate into tangible actions and measurable outcomes. When applied successfully, your strategy should clearly outline your values in action. For example, prioritize transparency in team meetings, hire based on cultural fit and shared values, develop products that solve real customer pain points, and deliver a consistent brand experience at every touchpoint.
5. Keep it Adaptable
The world changes fast, and your strategic plan should, too. A rigid, three-year roadmap often becomes obsolete in a matter of months. Instead, build flexibility into your strategy so you can pivot when needed while staying true to your core mission. Like Sun Tsu famously said, “No plan survives contact with the enemy.”
Living Your Strategy, Not Just Writing It
The best strategic plans don’t just define goals—they shape culture, drive action, and align teams around a shared vision. If your strategic plan isn’t actively shaping how your business operates day-to-day, then it’s time to rethink the process.
So, before you sit down to map out your next plan, ask yourself:
Are we just writing something impressive, or are we building something meaningful?
Are we aligning our people, purpose, and performance, or just creating another document?
Are our values being lived by employees so clients can see them, or are they just words on a wall?
If your strategic plan isn’t designed to be lived out, it’s not a plan—it’s just another soggy sandwich.
Let’s build a strategic plan that actually works.
Buzzword Bingo: Strategic Planning Edition
Strategic planning is riddled with industry jargon that often sounds impressive but doesn’t mean much in practice. Here are some overused buzzwords and phrases that companies, consultants, and thought leaders love to throw around in place of simply calling it strategic planning. Play along with us! How many of these buzzwords have you participated in? Can you get a BINGO?
