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Strategic planning should be more than a box to check—it’s a chance to align your team, make bold choices, and set a clear path forward in a rapidly evolving world. Yet some organizations invest time and resources into planning efforts that fall flat. At Event Garde, we’ve worked with organizations to develop strategic plans that are inclusive, actionable, and flexible. We have refined our process for over a decade to help organizations avoid common pitfalls.
1. Plans That Sit on a Shelf
What happens: The team launches a strategy with big ideas, but no one knows what to do next or how to track progress.
How our process is different: We translate strategy into action. Our process includes a focused implementation phase to develop a living work plan with clear timelines, owners, and outcomes. We also build in tools and rhythms for monitoring progress, adjusting course, and celebrating wins.
2. Lack of Stakeholder Buy-In
What happens: Leadership retreats behind closed doors to write a plan, then shares it with staff or stakeholders as a finished product. Unsurprisingly, there’s little enthusiasm or ownership about the final product and implementation stalls.
How our process is different: We co-create the plan with the people most affected by it, including staff, board members, partners, and community stakeholders. Our process starts with a kickoff orientation for the core team and includes guidance on who to involve at each stage of the process. This results in a shared understanding of the vision and builds commitment to implementation.
3. Narrow Perspective, Limited Voices
What happens: Planning teams unintentionally exclude key partners, leading to blind spots and missed opportunities.
How our process is different: We use a stakeholder mapping tool to ensure inclusive engagement. This tool helps identify whose voices are missing and brings in critical perspectives, whether that’s frontline staff, community members, or external partners. The result? A well-rounded plan rooted in real-world insights and broad buy-in.
4. Chasing Too Many Priorities
What happens: The plan includes everything and therefore, nothing gets done. Staff feel overwhelmed, and progress stalls.
How we help: We support organizations in making tough, intentional choices. Together, we identify 3–5 core strategic directions, aligned with the organization’s mission, capacity, and long-term vision. This clarity helps focus energy where it matters most.
5. Confusing Strategy with Operations
What happens: The strategic plan reads like a project list, bogged down in tactical details with no clear direction.
How we help: In the orientation session, we clarify the differences between foresight, strategic, operational, and project planning. Then we guide teams to think strategically by identifying long-term goals, strategic drivers, and measures of success. From there, we link the strategy to operational plans, by defining the specific actions, roles, and resources needed to move the work forward.
Effective strategic planning requires more than a template - it needs a thoughtful, inclusive process. If you're ready to work with us or lead your own strategic planning, check out our white paper and watch the webinar for more details, or contact us to learn how we can help.
