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Annual Strategic Planning Template

Scaling Up 960 min Annually Leadership team (5-15 people), two-day offsite

Annual strategic planning is the highest-altitude meeting in the Scaling Up rhythm. Over two days the leadership team revisits the foundation of the business, studies the market, and commits to a theme and priorities for the year ahead. This annual strategic planning template is based on the Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits) model from Verne Harnish.

When to use it

Run it once a year, usually as a two-day offsite, before the new fiscal or calendar year begins. Use it when you need to step fully out of operations to review the year, refresh long-term strategy, and set the annual theme, targets, and priorities that everything else in the year will ladder up to.

Who attends

The leadership team, typically five to fifteen people. Two days offsite gives the room the space to think long-term, debate honestly, and reach real alignment rather than a rushed list.

How to run it

Open with an honest year in review, then return to the foundation: core values, purpose, and the long-term goal. Study the market and trends, paint the three-year picture, and set this year's targets. From there, define an annual theme with a critical number, agree on three to five annual priorities, and finalize the full One-Page Strategic Plan so every row aligns. Close the second day by translating the year into first-quarter priorities and a cascade plan. The two days move from reflection to strategy to a concrete first quarter.

Facilitator tips

  • Block two full days offsite and protect them.
  • Anchor the year in core values and purpose before setting goals.
  • End with Q1 priorities so the plan has immediate traction.
  • Finalize the One-Page Strategic Plan in the room, not afterward.

Common mistakes

  • Compressing it into a single rushed day with no room to think.
  • Setting an annual theme but never building the scoreboard or celebration.
  • Leaving without translating the year into a concrete first quarter.
  • Producing a binder no one reads instead of a living one-page plan.

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Agenda

960 minutes total · 8 sections

  1. Year in review 90 min
    Reflect on the past year: wins, misses, lessons, and how actual results compared to the annual plan.
  2. Core values, purpose, BHAG 90 min
    Revisit core values, core purpose, and the Big Hairy Audacious Goal to confirm the long-term foundation.
  3. Market, SWOT, and trends 120 min
    Analyze the market, run a SWOT, and study competitor and industry trends shaping the year ahead.
  4. Three-year picture and targets 120 min
    Paint the three-year picture and set the financial and non-financial targets that define success.
  5. Annual theme and critical number 90 min
    Set a single annual theme with a critical number, scoreboard, and celebration to rally the company.
  6. Annual priorities 150 min
    Agree on three to five company priorities for the year, each measurable with a clear owner.
  7. One-Page Strategic Plan finalize 150 min
    Update the full One-Page Strategic Plan so every row aligns from values through to this year priorities.
  8. Q1 priorities and cascade 150 min
    Translate the annual plan into first-quarter priorities and a clear plan to cascade it across the company.

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