Drive Action With a People-Centered Approach to Strategic Planning

A well-crafted strategy is about making intentional choices that position organizations for long-term success. A thoughtful approach defines where you’re going and lays out a clear, adaptive path forward that everyone within the organization can understand. Great strategy goes beyond planning—it’s about centering people, creating alignment across the organization, and developing resilient and responsive plans. Here’s how organizations can bring strategic alignment and planning into focus.

The Key Elements of a High-Impact Strategic Plan

A successful strategic plan engages stakeholders, translates complexity into clarity, and provides actionable steps forward. Based on insights from diverse industries, high-impact strategies tend to include these foundational elements:

• Clear insight: Effective strategy starts with a clear understanding of the organization’s current reality. Leveraging data and insights from both internal and external sources reveals opportunities and pinpoints challenges, building a strong foundation for decisions.

• Stakeholder engagement: Building a strategic plan is as important as the strategy itself. Engaging a range of perspectives across the organization supports buy-in and ensures that diverse needs and ideas are represented. A shared commitment emerges naturally when the process includes the voices of those affected.

• Clarity (not certainty): A great plan is clear, accessible, and memorable even amid the ever-increasing velocity of change affecting the business environment. While strategies often include detailed steps, the essence should be easy to communicate and inspire everyone involved, serving as a guide that motivates people to act even in the face of adversity and business challenges.

• Purposeful prioritization: Successful strategies provide focus, helping leaders and teams prioritize what matters most. With clear priorities, leaders can make informed decisions about where to direct resources and energy—guiding what to pursue and what to pause.

• Adjustability: Strategy is not a one-time event. A dynamic plan is regularly refreshed, keeping it relevant and aligned with the organization’s evolving landscape and goals.

A Framework to Establish a Foundation for Activation

Strategic alignment and planning aren’t one-size-fits-all. Every organization’s journey is unique, requiring a tailored approach that meets specific needs—whether through targeted prioritization, collaborative strategy development, or a comprehensive, multi-year planning effort.

A strategy succeeds when it’s embraced by the people who carry it forward. The best strategies are developed with an eye toward activation—doing so will transform the strategy from ideas on paper into actions that drive progress. Use the following strategic planning framework to establish the foundation for successful activation:

1. Assess: Begin with data collection, interviews, and a thorough assessment to establish a baseline understanding. This stage reveals valuable insights and identifies critical factors needed to move forward.

2. Envision: Strategy gains momentum when leaders collaborate to define a shared vision for the future. Through structured visioning sessions, organizations can establish a clear, mid-term outcome that anchors the strategic plan.

3. Align on priorities: With a vision in place, it’s time to set priorities, create a change narrative, and establish metrics for success. Tools like strategic dashboards can provide ongoing visibility into progress and impact.

4. Activate: Effective activation includes planning for communication, ensuring teams understand and support the strategy, and assessing readiness for change. This is the point at which strategy transitions into action.

How to Elevate People-Centered Strategy at Your Organization

A strategic approach that resonates with people at all levels creates authentic and meaningful alignment. Organizations can elevate human-centered strategy through the following methods:

• Collaborative workshops: Bringing stakeholders together to co-create clarity accelerates alignment and enhances buy-in. Visual tools, design sprints, and collaborative frameworks are effective for simplifying complex ideas and building consensus.

• Narrative and visualization: Translating strategy into compelling, accessible visuals and stories makes it easier for everyone to connect with the purpose behind the plan. Design assets and storytelling transform strategy from abstract ideas into inspiring, relatable messages.

• Develop buy-in from the start: Strategic plans reach their full potential only when followed by actionable, continuous alignment. Ensuring there’s support for ongoing execution and a willingness to adapt over time helps keep momentum alive.

Consider an example from the healthcare sector, where a major professional association faced declining membership and financial strain. With new leadership in place, the organization sought a strategy that would stabilize its operations and enable growth. By conducting a thorough assessment, gathering input from stakeholders, and developing a comprehensive four-year plan, the organization transformed its trajectory. The results were clear: a 33 percent increase in revenue over three years, improved engagement, and renewed alignment around a shared vision. With a thoughtful strategy and commitment to people-driven activation, the association strengthened its role and impact in the healthcare industry.

A successful strategy is one that people believe in and are motivated to carry forward. When leaders commit to creating clear, inclusive, and adaptable strategies, they set the stage for lasting impact. By centering on people and creating alignment across every level, organizations can build a resilient foundation for sustainable growth and transformation—driven by strategy, supported by people.