3fish Strategy
How we work - strategic planning

Strategic Plan Development Guide

How we take an organization from a strategy vacuum to a plan its people can actually run.

Seven phases, each ending in something your organization keeps - a document, a decision, or a working process.

Start a conversation See the phases
07
Phases, ending in seven documents you keep
The plan

The plan, start to finish.

Nothing here ends at the recommendation. Each phase produces something written down and agreed on, so the next one starts from evidence rather than memory.

01

Discovery & Situational Analysis

Internal assessment · External assessment · Stakeholder & customer insights · SWOT analysis

02

Strategic Foundation

Mission · Vision · Core values · Long-term goals (3–5 years) · Strategic priorities

03

Strategy Development

Operational excellence · Product or service · Financial · Customer & market · People & culture · Technology & infrastructure

04

Operational Planning

Annual objectives · Initiatives & projects · Quarterly roadmaps · Budgeting · Risk management

05

Implementation Framework

Governance · Project management · Performance management · Internal communication

06

Monitoring, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

Monthly or quarterly reviews · Performance data analysis · Optimization · Annual strategy refresh

07

Change Management & Culture Alignment

Communicate · Train · Recognize · Own · Collaborate

Phase 01 of 07

Discovery & Situational Analysis

Goal. Build an accurate picture of the current state of the business, its environment, and its capabilities.
01

Internal assessment

  • Mission, vision, values
  • Organizational structure and roles
  • Financial performance and cost structure
  • Products and services
  • Systems, processes, and tools
  • Current strengths and challenges
02

External assessment

  • Industry trends and forecasts
  • Competitor landscape
  • Market dynamics and customer expectations
  • Regulatory or technological change
03

Stakeholder & customer insights

  • Insight gathered from employees, partners, suppliers, and customers
  • Unmet needs, pain points, and opportunities
04

SWOT analysis (marketing-centric)

  • Strengths and weaknesses
  • Opportunities and threats
Phase 02 of 07

Strategic Foundation

Goal. Establish the direction, purpose, and ambition of the organization.
01

Mission statement

  • Why the business exists.
02

Vision statement

  • What the business aims to become over the long term.
03

Core values

  • The behaviours and principles that guide decisions.
04

Long-term goals (3–5 years)

  • Financial goals
  • Operational goals
  • Market or product expansion
  • Organizational development priorities
05

Strategic priorities

  • The handful of focus areas that get real attention - digital transformation, operational efficiency, workforce development, innovation, customer experience.
Phase 03 of 07

Strategy Development

Goal. Define how the organization will achieve its goals.
01

Operational excellence

  • Process improvements
  • Cost optimization
  • Quality management
02

Product or service strategy

  • Refining existing offerings
  • Developing new products or features
  • Value differentiation
03

Financial strategy

  • Budgeting and forecasting
  • Cash flow management
  • Funding and investment needs
04

Customer & market strategy

  • Target markets
  • Customer segmentation
  • Distribution and sales channels
05

People & culture strategy

  • Recruitment and retention
  • Skills development
  • Leadership capability
  • Culture initiatives
06

Technology & infrastructure strategy

  • Systems upgrades
  • Data and analytics
  • Automation
  • Cybersecurity practices
Phase 04 of 07

Operational Planning

Goal. Translate strategy into actionable, time-bound initiatives.
01

Annual objectives

  • Specific targets aligned with the strategic goals.
02

Initiatives & projects

  • What will be done
  • Why it matters
  • Expected impact
03

Quarterly roadmaps

  • Milestones
  • Deliverables
  • Deadlines
04

Budgeting & resource allocation

  • Operating budget
  • Capital investments
  • Staffing requirements
  • Outsourcing or vendor needs
05

Risk management

  • Potential barriers
  • Mitigation strategies
Phase 05 of 07

Implementation Framework

Goal. Ensure successful execution through structure, accountability, and process.
01

Governance structure

  • Decision-making roles
  • Leadership responsibilities
  • Steering committees or planning teams
02

Project management processes

  • Workflows
  • Tools (Asana, Monday, spreadsheets)
  • Tracking and communication practices
03

Performance management

  • KPIs and leading indicators
  • Scorecards or dashboards
  • Regular management meetings
04

Internal communication

  • Sharing the strategy across the organization
  • Aligning teams to priorities
  • Encouraging transparency and ownership
Phase 06 of 07

Monitoring, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

Goal. Evaluate performance and adapt as conditions change.
01

Monthly or quarterly reviews

  • Assess progress against objectives
  • Identify bottlenecks
  • Reallocate resources where needed
02

Performance data analysis

  • Financial metrics
  • Customer feedback
  • Operational data
03

Optimization

  • Improve processes
  • Adjust strategy as new information emerges
  • Introduce efficiency gains
04

Annual strategy refresh

  • Revisit assumptions and goals
  • Update the SWOT
  • Realign priorities for the year ahead
Phase 07 of 07

Change Management & Culture Alignment

Goal. Ensure the organization embraces the strategic direction - and can carry it without us.
01

Communicate the strategy clearly and consistently

02

Provide training where it's needed

03

Recognize and reward the behaviours the plan depends on

04

Foster leadership ownership at every level

05

Encourage cross-department collaboration

Final deliverables

By the end of the process, your organization has:

Seven core strategic documents - written down, agreed on, and in your team's hands.

  1. 01Situational Analysis Report
  2. 02Mission, Vision & Values Framework
  3. 033–5 Year Strategic Plan
  4. 04Annual Operating Plan
  5. 05Project Roadmaps
  6. 06Performance Dashboard & KPIs
  7. 07Governance & Implementation Processes

Most consultants leave you with a plan. We build your team's capacity to run it.

Strategy that transfers
Start here

Let's talk about where your organization is stuck.

A short call is usually enough to tell whether a planning process is the right instrument for what you're facing - and if it isn't, I'll say so.

Email
trevor@3fishstrategy.com
Phone
306.850.7147
Based in
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Email Trevor See the work