Strategy Is Not An Annual Process
String theory suggests that, at the most basic level, particles are actually one-dimensional strings vibrating in multiple dimensions.
The main critique against string theory is that it’s essentially untestable with current technology.
Your strategy, however, is easily testable and should be tested ALL THE TIME.
Remember, a strategy is a specific set of difficult choices about how you might solve your biggest problem (e.g. growth plateau or declining impact).
Strategic choices are “difficult choices” precisely because they can be wrong. In other words, if the opposite would be stupid, it’s not a strategic choice.
Since strategic choices can be wrong, your leadership team should test and assess your strategy frequently. Here are three ways to do this:
Identifying and questioning assumptions about stakeholders, ‘competition,’ and your own internal capabilities. “What would have to be true about [one of those things] for our strategy to work?” is a helpful question to ponder.
Getting feedback from your donors, partners, staff, board, and the people you serve.
While getting feedback is great, studying behavior can be better. Sometimes your people will say “yes” with their words, but “no” with their actions.
The dreaded annual strategic planning process creates a “one and done” mentality.
But strategy is a highly iterative process that should be discussed weekly by your leadership team to drive clarity, alignment, and rapid learning.
