The Right Strategy Questions to Ask Before Moving Forward

If You’re Not Asking These Strategy Questions, You’re Already Behind
Too many strategies fail not because of lack of effort, but because leaders don’t answer the right strategy questions upfront. Without strategic clarity, even the most ambitious plans collapse under confusion, wasted energy, and misaligned priorities. Successful strategies create clarity, motivation, and alignment before they move toward action.

The 3 Right Strategy Questions to Ask Before Moving Forward
Our organizational alignment research found strategic clarity accounts for 31% of the difference between high and low performing companies in terms of revenue growth, profitability, customer loyalty, leadership effectiveness, and employee engagement.  To be sure your plan for growth is a sound one, you should always be clear on the following three corporate strategy basics:

1. Are We Clear On What We are Really About?
   The first right strategy questions to ask is about focus.  While it is true that companies must excel at and balance multiple areas simultaneously, most high growth companies are crystal clear about what they are really about when push comes to shove.  Is it:

   – People?
   – Clients?
   – Products?
   – Finances?

   Some Client Examples:

   Financial Services Example
   A recent financial services client decided that, at their core, they are really about making money for shareholders. That does not mean that they ignore their customers, treat their employees poorly, or underinvest in their offerings.  It just means that their strategic decisions, performance culture, and investments will always lean toward making money.

   This clarity allowed them to prioritize profitability metrics and divest from non-core businesses — leading to double-digit ROI improvements.

   High Tech Example
   A recent technology client decided that they were really about producing the best products in the world.  Accordingly, they aligned their corporate culture and talent strategies to focus, first and foremost, on product development and innovation.

   By putting products at the center, they accelerated innovation cycles and launched three market-defining offerings in under two years.

   Business Services Example
   A recent business services client identified people (attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent) as their core growth driver.  They put their people first.  That makes sense for who they are and how they compete and win.  They still need to exceed customer expectations, do great work, and make money, but for them, it all starts with great people.

   Focusing on people first reduced employee attrition by 25% while sustaining high client satisfaction.

   Once you have decided upon your strategic leverage points, you can allocate your energy and resources accordingly. The key is not to dilute your strategy, performance culture, or talent plan by trying to be too many things to too many people.

2. Are We Measuring What Really Matters?
   It’s tempting with today’s technology and the growth of data analytics to have a long list of variables that might indicate the direction your organization is moving. But, too many metrics can take your eye off the ball.  Determine the handful of leading and lagging success metrics most critical for you and your business.

   Let the others go — especially metrics based mostly on optics, politics, or curiosity.

   The simpler the better when it comes to analyzing the data that will drive your decisions and the behaviors of those around you.  If you are tracking more than two key strategy success metrics for each strategic priority, you are probably tracking too many key performance indicators.

3. Are We Rewarding the Right Things and Holding Each Other Accountable?
   The third of the right strategy questions to ask is about accountability.  Accountability starts with identifying the core behaviors and results you want from your employees. What do they need to do and how do they need to act to be successful?

   For your strategy execution to succeed, you need to shape your organizational culture to accelerate, not hinder your strategic ambitions.  Be very intentional about creating the performance culture your business needs to thrive.  Then shift the business practices, belief systems, and behaviors that do not fit the strategy as quickly and as compassionately as possible.

   The goal is to have a motivated, engaged, and fully performing workforce that is committed to the organization and its mission.  Be smart: We know from organizational culture assessment data that rewarding the wrong things (e.g., individual heroics over collaboration) can quietly undermine strategies.

The Bottom Line
Strategies don’t fail on paper; they fail in execution. Asking the right questions upfront about focus, metrics, and accountability determines whether your people align around and commit to what matters most — or spin their wheels in costly confusion, misalignment, and workplace politics.

To learn more about your level of strategic clarity, download 7 Ways to Stress Test Your Strategic Clarity