Practical steps

How do we move forward in strategy review? Here are some practical steps to help you conduct a strategy review:

Step 1: Set a purposeful objective and schedule

• What to Do: Define the goal of your review—e.g., assessing progress, identifying struggles, and ensuring alignment with your God-given mission. Establish a regular rhythm (e.g., annual before budgeting) and allow flexibility for more frequent reviews (e.g., quarterly) if your context changes rapidly or triggers (like crises or donor requests) arise.
• Practical Tip: Mark review dates on your calendar now—e.g., an annual deep dive in January and lighter quarterly check-ins in April, July, and October.

Step 2: Gather facts and prepare with diligence

• What to Do: Collect real data to ground your review in reality, not assumptions. Use tools like a balanced scorecard to measure ministry impact (e.g., lives transformed), operational efficiency (e.g., volunteer retention), financial health (e.g., funds raised), and staff development (e.g., training hours). Conduct primary research if needed—e.g., survey beneficiaries to assess outcomes, not just activities.
• Practical Tip: Assign a team member to compile metrics and feedback a month before the review, giving you time to reflect and pray over the findings.

Step 3: Assemble the right team for collaboration

• What to Do: Include three key groups: strategic thinkers (to envision God’s direction), decision-makers (to commit resources), and executors (to ensure practicality). Involve staff, board members, or ministry leaders as appropriate, balancing vision with action.
• Practical Tip: For distributed teams, plan a mix of virtual check-ins and at least one annual in-person meeting to harness collective wisdom effectively.

Step 4: Assess progress and struggles honestly

• What to Do: Review your data and ask: Are we making progress? Where are we ahead or behind? Celebrate successes (e.g., new communities reached) and identify struggles (e.g., funding gaps). Use the “Tyranny of the Urgent” matrix to spot distractions (urgent but unimportant tasks) and prioritise vital goals (important but not urgent).
• Practical Tip: Create a simple table listing each priority, its progress (e.g., 75% on track), and any challenges, to focus your discussion.

Step 5: Reflect, learn, and validate priorities

• What to Do: Ask: What have we learned? Are our priorities still right? Reflect on lessons from execution (e.g., an outreach method isn’t working) and check if your 3-5 core priorities (e.g., expanding ministry, improving fundraising) remain relevant. Adjust or reprioritise if new opportunities or God’s leading suggest a shift.
• Practical Tip: Write down one key lesson per priority—e.g., “Events aren’t reaching youth; consider digital outreach”—to guide adaptations.

Step 6: Adapt and assign accountability

• What to Do: Decide on changes—e.g., tweak a programme, reallocate resources, or overhaul an approach if it’s not bearing fruit (like the Zimbabwe example). Assign a “strategic plan steward” (e.g., a director or team) to own the updated plan and ensure follow-through.
• Practical Tip: Document action items (e.g., “Shift budget to new initiative by June”) and name who’s responsible, setting deadlines for accountability.

Step 7: Communicate and embed the revised strategy

• What to Do: Share the updated plan—a one-page roadmap works well—with your team, board, donors, and partners. Embed it into your budgeting, operations, and ministry plans, ensuring alignment across the organisation.
• Practical Tip: Distribute the roadmap via email or a meeting, highlighting key changes and next steps to keep everyone on board.

These steps ensure your review is purposeful, data-driven, collaborative, and adaptive—keeping your organisation responsive to both practical needs and God’s guidance. By following this approach, you’ll maintain a living strategy that reflects your calling, equips your team, and maximises your Kingdom impact.