Objectives of a Strategy Review
Core Purpose
- Ask: Are we making real progress?
- Identify: Where are we ahead? Where are we struggling?
- Decide: Stay disciplined, adjust, or reallocate resources.
Key Review Questions
- Progress – Where are we succeeding? Where do we need more attention, resources, or adaptation?
- Learning – What has strategy execution taught us? How are we applying those lessons? (valued by partners/funders).
- Priorities – Are current strategic priorities (3–5 max) still the right ones?--New needs may rise, others may move down/off the list.
- People – Do we have the right people with the right skills in the right roles (“right people on the bus”)?
- Distractions vs. Focus – Are urgent but less-important tasks (Quadrant 3) consuming energy that should go toward important but not urgent priorities (Quadrant 2)?
Decision Framework (Urgent vs. Important Quadrant)
- Q1: Urgent + Important → must do (likely strategic priorities).
- Q2: Not urgent + Important → long-term investment, discipline needed.
- Q3: Urgent + Not important → delegate, slow down, or eliminate.
- Q4: Not urgent + Not important → ignore/eliminate.
Strategic reviews ensure focus on:
- Right progress
- Right priorities
- Right people
- Right allocation of energy (less firefighting, more long-term building)
- One of the most powerful outcomes: the courage to say “no.”