How to Create a Strategic Growth Plan

"Strategy is not the consequence of planning, but the opposite: its starting point." – Henry Mintzberg Developing a strategy is about creating a clear, actionable roadmap to achieve your most critical goals. It’s not just about what you want to accomplish, but how you’ll get there. Great strategies are focused, adaptable, and grounded in reality. They turn vision into execution and effort into results. Here’s how to develop a winning strategy: 1. Define the End Goal Start with the outcome in mind. What does success look like? Be clear, specific, and measurable. A powerful strategy is built around a compelling goal that aligns with your overall vision. Ask: * What are we trying to achieve, and why does it matter? * How will we know we’ve succeeded? 2. Assess Your Current Reality You need to know where you are to chart the path to where you want to go. Take an honest look at your current situation, strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. Ask: * What resources, skills, and assets do we already have? * What challenges or gaps must we address to move forward? 3. Identify the Key Levers Not everything matters equally. Strategy is about focusing on the critical few actions or decisions that will make the biggest impact. Ask: * What are the 2–3 priorities that will move the needle? * What must we focus on to achieve the greatest return on effort? 4. Anticipate Obstacles Great strategies are proactive. Identify potential roadblocks or risks in advance, and build contingency plans to address them. Ask: * What could get in the way of success? * How can we mitigate these risks or turn them into opportunities? 5. Create an Action Plan A strategy without execution is just a wish. Break your strategy into clear, actionable steps with defined roles, responsibilities, and timelines. Ask: * Who is responsible for what? * What milestones will keep us on track? 6. Measure and Adjust No strategy survives unchanged. Build systems to regularly monitor progress, gather feedback, and adapt as needed. Agility ensures your strategy stays relevant. Ask: * How will we track progress and measure success? * What feedback loops will help us adjust along the way? 7. Communicate Relentlessly A strategy must be understood to be executed. Clearly communicate the goal, the priorities, and the plan to everyone involved. People need to know how their actions connect to the bigger picture. A great strategy doesn’t try to do everything—it prioritizes the right things. It bridges the gap between where you are and where you want to go, providing focus, clarity, and momentum. Ask yourself: What’s the bold move that will drive the greatest impact? Build your strategy around it, take decisive action, and stay committed. Remember: a clear strategy is the first step to extraordinary results.

Most of the business owners I worked for in my 20+ years of running business had a business playbook that looked similar to this one: - Do your best. - Grow if you can. - Make a profit if possible. If you can relate, you are not alone. But what if it did not have to be like this? Here is how I help business owners create a real 3-year profitable business growth plan - that... Doesn't suck ❌ Actually works ✔️ Doesn't lead to burnout 🤯 Step 1️⃣: Audit the numbers — revenue, profit, offers, client mix, and team performance. Step 2️⃣: Identify the biggest bottleneck hurting cash flow right now. Step 3️⃣: Set 1 growth goal and 1 profit goal — and kill everything that distracts. Step 4️⃣: Build a 90-day action map that focuses energy, not drains it. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 4 - Building a 90-day Action Plan: 1. Choose 3 priorities for the next quarter—no more, no less. 2. List the specific actions for each priority. Make them clear and measurable. 3. Assign owners to every action. Accountability matters here. 4. Schedule check-ins. Weekly or biweekly, to keep momentum and spot roadblocks early. 5. Measure what matters—track the numbers tied to your growth and profit goals, not vanity metrics. This is what keeps owners focused. It stops random distractions from hijacking your plan. And it brings real, sustained progress—without running yourself ragged. Your next 3 years are built in these next 90 days. Make them count. Here's to your growth 👊 ↘️ Hi! I'm Damien, an integrator/operator turned business coach. Follow 🔔 Damien Foglio for more content like this. If this resonated with you, 📨 me a DM #leadership #entrepreneurship #solopreneurship #management

Developing a strategic plan is the cornerstone of organizational success. A well-crafted strategy aligns teams, streamlines efforts, and ensures that resources are focused on achieving meaningful goals. Dr. Rishi Kumar framework simplifies the process into six actionable steps: 1️⃣ Define Vision and Mission: Start by envisioning the future and holding true to your core values. Use systems thinking to consider long-term impacts and feedback loops. 2️⃣ Analyze the Current State: Conduct a SWOT analysis and apply the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) to prioritize the most impactful factors. 3️⃣ Set Strategic Objectives (OKRs): Establish clear goals and measurable key results. Evaluate opportunity costs to maximize returns. 4️⃣ Develop a Tactical Plan: Create detailed schedules and be ready to pivot if necessary. Focus on future benefits, not sunk costs. 5️⃣ Implement the Plan: Use KPIs to measure progress, gather feedback, and adapt strategies as needed. 6️⃣ Review and Adapt: Leverage a balanced scorecard to monitor performance across financial, customer, internal process, and learning dimensions. This step-by-step process ensures agility, focus, and sustainable growth. What’s your go-to strategy for planning success? Follow Dr. Rishi Kumar for similar insights!

Everyone talks about strategy. “You need a strategy.” “Let’s get strategic about that.” “Your strategy isn’t working.” But what most people really mean is… they don’t have a plan. Or worse, they have a bunch of disconnected ideas, chasing trends, and reacting to whatever's happening today — and they call that “strategy.” What is strategy? Strategy is the intentional plan behind your actions. It’s how you connect where you are right now… to where you want to go. Without it? You’re busy. You’re posting. You’re working. But you’re not moving the needle So How Do You Actually Build a Real Strategy? Here’s the straightforward, 4 step no-fluff version: Step 1: Get Ruthlessly Clear on the Outcome If your goal is vague, your strategy will be vague. “I want to grow my business” isn’t a goal. Neither is “get more visible” or “become a thought leader.” You need to ask: ✔ What specifically do I want? IE: 10 new clients this quarter $100K in revenue in the next 6 months Qualified inbound leads Invitations to speak or collaborate Recognition as an expert in my niche The clearer the target, the sharper the strategy. Step 2: Know Your Starting Point (Reality Check) This part most people skip. They build a strategy based on where they wish they were, not where they actually are. Ask yourself: What resources do I have? (Time, money, skills, team, connections) What gaps exist? (Skill gaps? Visibility gaps? Lead generation gaps?) What’s already working — even a little? (Double down there.) Strategy without an honest audit? That’s just wishful thinking. Step 3: Get clear on what actually moves the dial Not every action moves you forward. Figure out the offers, actions, and relationships that actually create momentum — and cut the rest. Step 4: Stop overthinking — focus on the next three moves Forget perfect. Strategy isn’t about overplanning — it’s about knowing what’s next. Map out three simple, specific actions that move you toward your goal. Once you’ve done those? You adjust. You build the next three. That’s how real strategy stays alive — not stuck in a Google Doc. Step 5: Measure. Adjust. Repeat. Strategy isn’t set in stone — it evolves. If it’s working? Double down. If it’s not? Adjust. But don’t confuse “it’s uncomfortable” with “it’s not working.” Real strategy requires consistency — not constant reinvention. Strategy need not be complicated. But it is intentional. It’s how you trade busy work for purposeful action. It’s how you stop reacting and start leading. Otherwise? You’re not building a business. You’re stuck in motion ♻️ Share this is you found it helpful Be sure to follow me WENDY SHORE for useful tips an advice on building Brand Authority and your business on LinkedIn