Community Conversations: Strategy First … Or Pay Later!

By Anne Marie Thompson, Attorney-at-Law and former Labour Commissioner
It is no secret that organizations, big or small, that operate without a clear strategic plan risk paying a high price, not only in thousands or millions of dollars in financial losses but also in the hidden costs of dysfunctional teams, unclear priorities, conflicting interests, poor customer relations, loss of goodwill, leadership without direction, and toxic work environments. Simply put, a strategic plan is a living document that outlines an organization’s goals for a specific period and the actions required to achieve them. The plan is reviewed annually and adjusted as needed. To be clear, the type of strategic plan that will work for your organization is nothing close to those that are typically traditional. Rather, the strategic plan you should have in mind must be one that is agile or lean. A lean or agile strategic plan will allow your organization to detect, leverage, and transform complexity, change, threats, and opportunities to your advantage. Research by renowned management experts such as Michael Porter (Competitive Strategy) and Jim Collins (Good to Great) shows that companies without a defined strategy often pay later through declining revenues, wasted resources, and disengaged employees.
For the new year, many business owners, managers and directors will pat themselves on the back for having only a budgetary plan in place. Arguably, this approach is a bit backward. Sorry, a budget alone is no substitute for a strategic plan. The proper sequence begins with a strategic plan that is aligned with the organization’s vision and mission, followed by an operational plan that defines how work will be executed, and then the budget that allocates resources effectively. And of course, for especially large organizations, it is just as important to have other systems in place, which would include a monitoring system, a staff appraisal system and a rewards and recognition system. As Collins emphasizes, great companies, big or small, make disciplined choices about where to compete and how to win, and those choices must drive operations and investments, not the other way around. A well-developed, actionable strategic plan is therefore the foundation that aligns leadership, teams, and resources to achieve sustainable growth and competitive advantage.
Belize’s economy continues to show signs of both opportunity and growth. However, businesses (organizations) still have to be mindful of inflationary pressures, labour constraints, and productivity gaps. Therefore, it is important to plan. If not, plan to fail. Planning, alignment, execution, and monitoring should be a priority for all organizations as much as opportunity, relevance and survival. In his April 2024 article for Forbes Coaches Council, “The Importance Of Strategic Planning of Business Success”, Jose Luis Gonzalez Rodriquez underscores the sad truth that, in reference to strategic planning, there are many organizations that are run at their peril without using this basic and efficient business management tool. The article highlighted that while nearly 90 percent of business leaders agreed that strategic planning is essential, fewer than half developed formal, actionable strategic plans in any given year, and even fewer execute them effectively.
It is equally important to note that even the best strategy can fail if an organization’s underlying processes are outdated and inefficient; there is no or unclear accountability; and decision-making is cumbersome and slow. As such, organizations may need to re-engineer their internal processes if they experience rising costs, declining profitability, customer complaints, slow response times, repeated errors, or overworked staff. Addressing these operational weaknesses ensures that strategy can be executed effectively and that resources are not wasted on inefficient systems. Experience reinforces these lessons for organizations that are merely surviving or on the brink of failing.
You may be familiar with Domino’s Pizza turnaround success after years of struggling to compete with Pizza Hut and Papa John’s. But around 2008–2009, Domino’s leadership faced the problems head-on to address declining sales, negative customer perception, and operational inefficiencies. In response to these problems, the company implemented a comprehensive strategic plan. It revamped the pizza recipe, addressed customer concerns transparently and ensured the standardization of its operations and delivery processes. Very importantly, the company’s strategic plan utilized technology to drive strategy through investments in digital ordering platforms and mobile apps. By being visionary and strategic, Domino’s was able to execute a strategic plan that successfully turned around the company. Today, the global pizza market is dominated by Domino’s Pizza, which ranks first, followed by Pizza Hut, Little Caesars and Papa John’s. If organizations are to fix broken systems and broken promises to customers and take ownership of their balance sheets, then they must develop and implement strategic plans for the success and continuity of their organizations.
Every organization, whether a small family business, a large company, a ministry, or a non-profit, faces the same challenge of not just surviving, but moving forward to achieve its mission, fulfil its vision, and deliver results, including profits. Effective strategic planning is the key to making this happen, and it goes beyond asking and answering cushy questions. Strategic planning requires stepping back from daily pressures, brainstorming, fostering dialogue among stakeholders, making tough decisions about priorities, investments and limited resources and staying the course. A well-crafted strategic plan, guided by experienced advisors, translates these conversations into a clear roadmap that drives the organization towards achieving and even surpassing its goals. Belizean firms like Sandona Consulting (www.sandonaconsulting.com) help organizations turn strategic planning into action and measurable impact. As attributed to Morris Chang, Founder and former CEO of TSMC, “Without strategy, execution is aimless. With strategy, execution becomes a force multiplier”. The organizations that will achieve more and stand out in 2026 are not those that simply work harder, but those that plan better, align faster, and execute with discipline. In a competitive and ever-changing environment, it is strategy first … or pay later.