The Myth of the ‘Perfect’ Strategic Plan: Why Overplanning Kills Progress
Stuart Robinson MBA GAICD
School Strategy Specialist | MBA (Leadership) | B. Bus (Acct & Mktg) | GAICD | Member of ASBA | 25+ Years ?in F-12 Education
Every year, school leaders spend months crafting the perfect strategic plan - pages of polished goals, timelines, and initiatives - a masterpiece.
And yet…
By the time it’s printed, it’s already irrelevant. ??
The Problem with Perfect Plans
A traditional strategic plan assumes that the future will unfold in a predictable way. But schools aren’t static. Neither is the world.
Policies shift. Technologies evolve. Student needs change.
The more rigid the plan, the harder it is to adapt when reality doesn’t follow the script. That’s why so many school strategies end up as forgotten PDFs.
Strategy isn’t about writing the perfect plan—it’s about staying responsive.
What Agile Schools Do Differently ??♂?
Instead of locking themselves into a fixed roadmap, forward-thinking schools think in sprints.
Rather than waiting until the next review cycle to course-correct, these schools move in real-time.
The 30-Year Perspective ??
What if, instead of obsessing over the next three years, we started thinking in 30-year scenarios?
Futurists use Time Cones instead of rigid timelines:
? Core Certainties (0-5 years): What we know will happen—policy changes, demographic shifts.
? Probable Trends (5-15 years): The rise of AI-driven learning and evolving teacher roles.
? Emerging Possibilities (15-30 years): The potential reinvention of education itself.
By thinking in scenarios, not scripts, schools can prepare for multiple futures, not just one.
Strategy Is Execution ??
The best strategy isn’t about predicting the future—it’s about being ready for it.
So instead of asking, “How do we create the perfect plan?” ask, “How do we build a school that thrives in uncertainty?”
The answer isn’t more planning.
It’s better responsiveness. ??
To keep reading this article on strategic plans, check my blog for more insightful posts about strategy, leadership, culture, and other school-critical topics.
I help Education and Business organisations improve their business processes through physical and extended reality options.
1 周Thanks for the article Stuart Robinson MBA GAICD. Great idea but it misses the person. Principals or Heads are recruited for a Vision to focus the school on its next phase in enhancing education. Board members and Board Chairs come into the mix with ideals. Although i agree with your suggestions it will always be focussed on the next three to five years and definitely no longer than the rein of the Principal.