STRATEGIC PLANNING

Have you ever noticed that a good number of companies plan by… looking in the rearview mirror?

When strategic planning is just an annual ritual of making pretty presentations, full of charts that nobody consults on a daily basis, we have a serious problem. We cannot confuse planning with forecasting.

We plan to mitigate risks and, by doing so, bring the odds of success to our side.

The truth is that planning is not predicting. It is to build.

Understanding this makes all the difference, because it allows one to understand that the plan may undergo changes. They are part of the reality for those who perform in a volatile, uncertain, and constantly changing environment.

And here's a provocation:

"An idiot with a plan can beat a genius without a plan." — Warren Buffett

Whether on the board, in the management, or in your own company, it all starts with answering with complete honesty:

1. Where are we going to play?

— Which markets, products, customers, and territories make (or do not make) sense?

2. How are we going to win?

— What is the value proposition? What strategy makes us relevant and competitive?

3. What needs to be working in order for this to happen?

— People, processes, technology, culture, structure… The game is internal before it is external.

In practical terms, the method doesn't exist to create documents, but rather to create direction.

Summarizing the development of the planning, we will have 4 macro stages: Diagnosis, Objectives, Actions, and Monitoring.

• Diagnosis: Face reality. SWOT, PESTEL, and Scenario Analysis are not just fancy acronyms; they are lenses that reveal where the risks and opportunities lie, and often, what no one wants to see.

• Clear Objectives: SMART goals are not a fad. They force clarity. If it's not specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound… it's just a wish.

• Action: A plan without execution is just a PowerPoint presentation. And PowerPoint doesn't move business.
• Monitoring: If you don't measure it, you can't manage it. If you don't manage it, you can't adjust it. And if it doesn't fit… you know the rest.

Without risk management, there is no reliable planning.

To think that planning is about designing a risk-free scenario is as naive as it is dangerous.

The risks exist and are relevant: Cybersecurity, compliance, reputation, regulatory changes, technological disruption, economic crises, environmental collapse…

And we must go further; it's not about eliminating risks, it's about deciding which risks we will choose to take.

And more importantly: which ones can you not afford to ignore.

Decision-making is the big difference.

Want an interesting fact?

67% of CEOs acknowledge that in a crisis… they take too long to decide.

And the most common mistake?

Decide based on emotion, not on data.

When in doubt, remember: Decision-making isn't about having all the answers. It's about choosing which risk to take and acting with speed and responsibility.

If you're in the seat of an owner, CEO, executive, or board member, keep this in mind:

• Don't outsource your company's future.

• Planning isn't about being right. It's about having direction.

• And whoever doesn't know where they're going… will take any road.