Text of Deepa Subramaniam's advice on strategy

gistfile1.txt

This is from a Twitter thread by Deepa Subramaniam 
https://twitter.com/iamdeepa/status/944237019265298432.
Copying the content here in case Twitter is lost to us or in case you don't 
want to visit it.

[Thread] I am advising a lot of startups and non-profits with setting their 
2018 company & product strategy. Based on common issues that have come up, 
here are 5 tips I’d like to share:

[1] Once company-level goals are set, if teams break out to create their own 
sub-plans/roadmaps/goals, be sure to bring everyone back and review together. 
How sub-goals stitch up into company goals can often be an area of disconnect 
that can (and should!) be caught & fixed early.

[2] Transparency & regular piecemeal updates into planning is crucial. Regardless 
if it's going smoothly, be open with broader org around what is happening & 
what is next. Waiting interminably for a “complete strategy” sucks and produces 
mounting (& un-meetable!) expectations.

[3] Root looking into the future by reflecting on the past. There should be 
a retrospective element to strategic planning. Plans, ideas, goals, execution 
improvements should be partially sourced from what did/didn’t go well. Key for 
buy-in, trust and leveling up an organization.

[4] Don’t get too hung up on exact precision. Planning is about confident bets 
with organizational discussion, collaboration and commitment. Socialize with 
your teams that if needed, change is ok — a modest appetite for reactive behavior 
is OK and doesn’t scream chaos.

[5] Access to up-to-date living documents is essential for smooth communication 
at every level of the org. Everyone should be able to access company goals, 
shared team roadmaps & data around high-level business health/impact.