Why September, not January, is the perfect time to refresh your Strategy for 2025

September is the perfect time to step back and take a fresh look at your company’s strategy.

Summer is behind us, and everyone’s back at work with renewed focus. For founder-managed companies, this is an ideal moment to review and refresh your strategy for 2025.

You already have a strategy in place, which has guided your company this far.

But the business environment changes fast, and what worked last year might not be enough for the year ahead.

A strategy refresh isn’t just about making adjustments; it’s about ensuring that your company stays on course to achieve its long-term goals.

Moreover, a clear and refreshed strategy is crucial not just for your business direction but also for employee engagement.

When your team understands the strategy, they feel more connected to the company’s mission and are more motivated to contribute to its success.

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Please, avoid bad strategy

The 4 signs of a bad strategy

Before diving into how to refresh your strategy, it’s important to recognise the signs of a strategy that might need more than just a quick update.

1?? Fluff

• Fluff is when a strategy is filled with buzzwords and jargon but lacks real substance.
• It might sound impressive, but it doesn’t actually say anything meaningful.
• For example, a strategy that says, “We aim to leverage synergies to maximize stakeholder value,” is just fluff.
• Strip away the fancy words, and there’s nothing concrete left.

2?? Ignoring Challenges

• A bad strategy often ignores the real challenges facing the company.
• It might set lofty goals but doesn’t address the obstacles that stand in the way.
• For example, saying “We will increase market share by 20%” without acknowledging the competition or market conditions is a recipe for failure.

3?? Confusing Goals with Strategy

• Goals are not the same as strategy.
• For example, saying “We want to increase sales by 20%” is a goal, not a strategy.
• A strategy explains how you will achieve that goal, taking into account the challenges and opportunities you face.

4?? Wrong Strategic Goals

• Bad strategy often includes goals that are either too vague or too ambitious without a clear path to achieve them.
• For example, setting a goal to “become the market leader” without any plan for how to get there is setting yourself up for failure.

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Now that you know what bad strategy looks like, let’s talk about how to refresh your existing one.

Do Good Strategy instead

The 4 essential elements of a good strategy

A good strategy has four key parts: Aspiration, Diagnosis, Guiding Policy, and Coherent Action. These elements are the building blocks of a plan that works and keeps your company moving forward.

1?? Aspiration: What’s the Big Picture?

• First, revisit your aspiration—your vision for the future. This isn’t just about what you want to achieve next year; it’s about where you want your company to be in three years or more.
• Ask yourself:
• What are your core values?
• What’s the big goal you’re working towards?
• Who are your customers, and what do you promise them?
• What makes your company unique?
• Ensuring that your aspiration is still relevant and aligned with your long-term vision is critical.
• For example, if your aspiration is to be the market leader in customer experience, check if this goal still aligns with market conditions and your company’s strengths.
• This big-picture thinking will guide all your decisions and keep your team focused and engaged.

2?? Diagnosis: What’s Really Going On?

• Next, assess what’s happening in your business and the market. As a founder, you probably have a strong sense of this.
• But it’s important to dig deeper and get specific.
• What challenges are you facing?
• Are there shifts in customer behaviour or new competitors in the market?
• Are your internal processes still efficient, or are they holding you back?
• Identifying these challenges is the first step in updating your strategy to meet current realities.
• For example, if you’ve noticed a drop in customer satisfaction, it might be time to diagnose the root cause—whether it’s outdated systems, a need for more training, or increased competition.

3?? Guiding Policy: What’s the Game Plan?

• Once you’ve diagnosed your situation, update your guiding policy.
• This policy is your game plan for tackling the challenges you’ve identified and staying on track toward your goals.
• For instance, if you’ve found that your tech is lagging, your guiding policy might now include a stronger focus on digital transformation.
• Or, if competition has increased, you might decide to double down on customer service to set your brand apart.
• Your guiding policy should clearly outline the approach you’ll take to navigate the challenges ahead. It should align with your long-term vision and provide a roadmap for the year to come.

4?? Coherent Action: What Will You Do Next?

• Finally, it’s time to turn your refreshed strategy into action. Coherent action means breaking down your plan into specific, actionable steps.
• As a founder, you’re used to making things happen.
• But it’s easy to get pulled in a million directions.
• By setting clear quarterly objectives and key results, you can keep everyone on track. For example, if your goal is to improve customer service, one action might be to launch a new training program in the next three months.
• Coherent action ensures that every step you take moves you closer to your big-picture goals and keeps your team engaged by providing clear, measurable targets.

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A Clear Strategy Boosts Employee Engagement

A well-communicated strategy isn’t just a roadmap for your business; it’s also a powerful tool for engaging your employees. When your team understands the strategy and sees how their work contributes to the company’s goals, they feel more connected to the mission.

Employees who know the company’s direction are more motivated and productive. They can see the bigger picture and understand how their daily tasks help move the company closer to its aspirations. This clarity fosters a sense of purpose and belonging, which are key drivers of engagement.

By involving your team in the strategy refresh process, you not only get their valuable insights but also increase their buy-in and commitment to the company’s success.

Three Workshops to Refresh Your Strategy

To make the strategy refresh process easier, break it down into three simple workshops. These workshops are designed to help you and your leadership team get on the same page and ensure your strategy is relevant and actionable.

Workshop 1: Revisiting Your Aspiration

In the first workshop, focus on your big picture. Start by discussing your core values—what do you stand for? Then, review your Big Audacious Noble Goal (BANG). Is it still the big dream that drives your company?

Next, reassess your brand promise. What do you guarantee to your customers? Who are those customers? Finally, make sure your three-year vision is still aligned with where you want to go. This refreshed vision will guide everything else.

Workshop 2: Updating Diagnosis and Guiding Policy

The second workshop is all about reassessing your challenges and refining your response. Start by reviewing the top challenges your company faces, both inside and outside.

Once you’ve identified any new challenges, update your strategic thrusts. These are the big areas you’ll focus on to overcome those challenges. Then, set your 1-year goals. Make sure these goals align with your refreshed vision from Workshop 1.

Finally, check for consistency. Does your updated plan make sense? Is it realistic given current conditions? This is your chance to fine-tune before you move forward.

Workshop 3: Coherent Action

The final workshop is where the rubber meets the road. It’s time to turn your updated plan into action. Start by setting quarterly objectives, also known as “rocks.” These are the big things you need to achieve in the next three months.

For each rock, define key results. These are the specific, measurable outcomes that will show you’re on track. Finally, make sure everyone on your team knows their role in achieving these objectives. This will help keep them engaged and aligned with the company’s goals.

Start Now and Set Yourself Up for Success in 2025

September is here, and it’s the perfect time to refresh your strategy for 2025. As a founder, you have a unique perspective on your company. Use it to your advantage. But also make sure to step back, involve your team, and think long-term.

By following this simple, step-by-step approach, you can ensure your strategy stays relevant and actionable.

And most importantly, you’ll be setting your company up for success in 2025 and beyond, with a team that’s engaged and motivated to achieve your shared goals.

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Go to www.agility3.com/strategytools to download the practical tools to support your strategy review process.

Alone or with support?

You can do the strategy review alone, by following the steps shown above.

Alternatively, I can support you in the process. Either by facilitating the workshops, or by acting as a sparring partner to the person leading the strategy review.

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