The Strategic Planning Process: Why Traditional Approaches Are Failing You

The strategic planning process is undergoing a significant transformation, and for good reason. After leading and advising on over 50 implementations, I’ve witnessed how traditional approaches that once dominated boardrooms consistently fail to deliver results. Many organizations find themselves in a familiar cycle: A strategy is approved with excitement. The leadership team rallies behind it. Teams nod along and appear to agree. Yet nothing really changes. I call the traditional approach “dark room strategy”.  This is where senior executives develop plans in isolation of the people in the organization most impacted by the changes.  They often are closest to the customer interactions and have a unique and valuable perspective. This creates a fundamental disconnection between strategy and execution, and ignores a critical truth: the best strategy is worthless if executed poorly.

This reminds me of a time when I was sitting in a US boardroom in the 90’s, as a junior-level consultant with McKinsey. Our team had just delivered a strategy to a CEO and his team.  He was delighted, thanking us profusely.  But the lack of critical questioning about implementation made one thing clear to me: he had ticked the box and did not plan on doing much besides passing it on to his team to implement.  I call this “throwing the document over the wall”.  Nothing was going to change.

Reimagining the Strategic Planning Process

Modern, effective strategic planning processes integrate three essential perspectives from the very beginning:

1. Business Strategy Perspective

• Simplification and Focus: Summarize complex, jargon-filled 100 page documents with succinct one-page executive frameworks that clarify priorities.
• AI-Enhanced Strategic Planning: Leverage Generative AI as a thought-partner to refine ideas and boost creativity.
• Commercial Context: Ensure everyone understands why the strategy matters and its business value.

When a large retail enterprise called me in to review their sluggish strategic program, we summarized their 158-page strategy document with a single-page visual executive framework. Finally people actually understood the rationale.

2. Change Management Perspective

• Open Strategy Process: Engage stakeholders from the beginning rather than after key decisions are made.
• Neurological Considerations: Recognize that excluded stakeholders experience threat responses that increase resistance.
• Pull vs. Push Dynamics: Create demand for change rather than imposing it.

This isn’t “soft stuff”, it’s behavioural science. When people feel excluded from strategic planning, their brains literally process it as a threat, triggering resistance responses that no amount of communication can overcome.  It is particularly acute in Oppositional cultures, where people are likely to aggressively defend their patch, and push back on new ideas. When I worked with a client on a sales improvement program, we co- designed solutions with the sales management team, and then asked the sales teams for their input.  Instead of opposing the program, they were strongly supportive as it had their ideas built in from the start.

3. Program Management Perspective

• Structured Execution Framework: Establish clear governance mechanisms that suite the existing culture.
• Accountability Systems: Define clear responsibilities and metrics for success.
• Integration with Business-as-Usual: Minimize disruption by thoughtfully embedding strategic initiatives into existing structures.

In the sales improvement program, project reviews were built into existing sales team meetings.  Sales managers were encouraged to coach to their team members after customer visits, rather than turning this into “more work”.   Existing bonus metrics were tweaked to encourage new behaviors.  Program management was not seen as a bureaucratic process, but as value adding.  After this program, an executive reported that the lift in sales was so significant, that just one additional large sale attributed to the program had covered all the program costs.

The Open Strategy Revolution.

My experience confirms the power of participative planning approaches:

• When employees own implementation planning, change success lifts from 32% to 96%.
• Organizations using open-strategy change approaches are 3x more likely to succeed.

While this approach might seem to slow initial planning, it dramatically accelerates execution by:

• Building early understanding and ownership;
• Developing familiarity and skills before formal implementation; and
• Creating natural “pull” that reduces resistance and builds critical mass fast.



Adapting to Your Culture Is Essential

The most critical aspect of modern strategic planning is adapting your process to your organizational culture. The best execution model in one organization is unlikely to work in another.  You will note in the above graphic that the model is shown in the context of one key element: “Culture”. Once you learn how to adjust to culture, you will accelerate your strategy momentum significantly.

Adjusting your Strategy Implementation process to your culture

All 3 elements depicted in the above flywheel graphic need to be aligned to your culture.  This includes the “why” or business reasons – ask yourself what will be of most interest to your stakeholder group, to their culture.   Is it a risk mitigation message, a performance message, or compliance with legislation for example?  Match your governance approach to the cultural expectations.  For example, are formalised structured governance approaches appreciated, or not?  Also the entire change management approach needs to be suited to the culture. 

We look at implementation challenges through the lens of culture in our community, The Turbochargers Hub. Once you learn how to adjust to culture, you will get more traction, less resistance, and faster results.  You can still work on your cultural development at the same time.

Flexible Frameworks vs. Rigid Methodologies

Strategic planning requires flexibility in our fluid and “VUCA” world. Rather than following rigid “best practice” methodologies, successful organizations:

• Use adaptable frameworks tailored to their specific context;
• Balance strategic rigor with creative thinking;
• Create iterative feedback loops that allow for adjustment; and
• Emphasize skills-based execution rather than process compliance.

Strategic Planning for Execution The modern strategic planning process is fundamentally about execution acceleration. By integrating business strategy, change management, and program management perspectives from the beginning, and adapting each to your culture, you create a flywheel effect that drives ROI and innovation. Remember: The best strategic planning process isn’t the one with the largest PowerPoint deck or the most sophisticated analysis. It’s the one that most effectively translates vision into action and delivers measurable results.

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About Lisa Carlin

Lisa Carlin is a Strategy Execution Specialist.  She works with business leaders to plan and execute their strategies in tough environments.  Her clients love having her expertise and guidance to navigate their workplace culture and use AI to achieve success. Lisa created The Turbochargers Hub, so leaders can master the art of strategic influence and generate momentum for organizational change. Lisa is author of the globally acclaimed newsletter, Turbocharge Weekly, read by 8,000 business leaders. Lisa’s career includes roles at McKinsey and Accenture, then running her own business since 1999.  Over this time she has delivered over 50 implementations with a 96% success rate.