Over the past forty years, we’ve had a ringside seat observing strategy teams across government, nonprofits, tribal nations, and business. As the field of strategy has matured in both theory and practice, a recognized pattern keeps showing up:
High-performing teams treat strategy management as an integrated system of behaviors.
These seven strategic-management behaviors build alignment, reduce confusion, and consistently show up in high-performing organizations.
- They start by asking: What’s happening around us? High-performers look for weak signals, trends, shifts, risks, and opportunities before they talk about priorities. It keeps them grounded in reality, not plagued by wishful thinking.
- They involve key stakeholder voices early. These teams know that strategy built in isolation too often falls apart in execution. When people help shape strategy, they support it.
- They focus on the vital few. Instead of long lists of projects, high-performing teams choose the 3–5 things that truly matter. They’re comfortable prioritizing, even ruthlessly prioritizing. They understand that trying to do everything is a formula for mediocrity (or worse).
- They plan for the future, not the past. Rather than relying on last year’s results, top teams use foresight tools like scenario planning, trend scanning, futures wheels, and competitor insights to see what’s coming. They don’t try to predict the future; they prepare for it.
- They create a rhythm for strategy conversations.
High-performing teams hold monthly team meetings, quarterly reviews, and annual updates, often organized into a strategy management calendar. Everyone knows when and how strategy will be discussed. It becomes a routine, not a retreat.
- They make ownership clear and supportive.
The best teams clarify ownership for objectives, initiatives, and metrics, follow up consistently, and remove roadblocks. They mix clarity with compassion in a psychologically safe manner.
- They communicate the strategy again and again.
Great teams don’t assume key messages are heard the first time. They repeat them.
They talk about strategy in meetings, share dashboards, celebrate wins, and explain the “why” behind decisions.
If you’re looking to build these seven behaviors into your organization, we can help. From training and certification programs to hands-on strategic planning support, our team works with organizations across sectors to build strategy systems that actually work. Explore our upcoming programs and learn how you can bring customized training to your team.