Why Strategic Plans Fail (and How to Make Them Work)

At DORIS, we’ve been reflecting a lot on what makes strategic plans actually work—not just sound inspiring. Our recent conversations with clients have circled around a familiar challenge:

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Getting to ‘yes’ when different strategies want different things

Let me share a quick story about a married couple. Let’s call them Pam and Curt. Their days are filled with young children, demanding jobs and volunteer activities.

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To fuel a think tank, you need an original thought

This morning, I read an article referencing an economist from a prominent think tank. I’ve always thought the label “think tank” was funny. I immediately picture men wearing

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We need referees at work to know what’s out of bounds

“Yo, ref, thanks for the great call” is not something generally shouted at sporting events … but maybe it should be. Referees maintain the integrity of the game.

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In a changing climate, follow the woolly mammoths

Some of us go to beaches for vacation. I like those, too, but in the middle of Indiana in February, that is not an option. In that same

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Thanks, I hate it: The gift of an open mindset

The holiday gift-giving season just ended, and there were probably many moments when a gift was unwrapped and a smile of excitement faded into a look of puzzle

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Organizational leadership is like layers in a cake

I identify a lot with the mole in “The Boy,the Mole, the Fox and the Horse,” a reallygreat book worth checking out. The molehas an odd obsession with

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Leaders, read the room literally before taking action

In my mid-20s working in the “real world”late at night on a design project, I received a call from a friend who worked at a large marketing firm

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To achieve goals, define success together

There’s a running joke around our office that says if my colleague Meghan and I drive separately to the same client meeting, she will beat me there by

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Oats, observation, and the office

As a kid, I used to love to quietly observe elements of my world, wondering why things happened the way they did. One of my favorite Saturday morning

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