1. Start with the Outside World
Many leaders unconsciously fall into the same trap: starting a strategy session with internal pain points or the annual figures. But true strategic thinking begins with the outside world. What is changing around you? What trends, technologies, or societal shifts are relevant to your organization?
Technique: Trend Horizon
Start your session with a sharp trend analysis. Have participants investigate, cluster, and then translate signals and developments into risks and opportunities. This automatically shifts the focus from inside to outside.
2. Think in Scenarios
No one can predict the future, but we can envision it. Scenario thinking helps explore different plausible futures, as the future is not a straight line. Yet many strategies are based on one 'most likely' future scenario. This is risky and uninspiring. Future scenarios give your strategy resilience and enable you to think actively in possibilities.
Technique: 2x2 Scenario Canvas
Use two relevant uncertainties (for example: technological adoption & political stability) to build four future scenarios. Have teams think about what their strategy should do in each scenario. This way, you immediately have multiple strategic directions that provide resilience in a changing context.
3. Slowing Down is Speeding Up
Leaders tend to want to push forward in a session. But an effective strategy session actually requires slowing down. Dare to make space for reflection, for friction, and doubts. Because often, the sharpest insights arise from those moments.
Technique: Silent Mapping
Create a setting where discomfort is allowed. Have participants individually and silently write down their perspective on a theme on a piece of paper. Only then does a conversation follow. This gives everyone the space to form their own thoughts and makes blind spots visible more quickly. The silence prevents dominant voices from determining the direction and ensures you don't rush through.
4. Make Strategy Visual
Strategy often loses its power once it becomes too abstract. Leaders recognize this all too well: ambitious words are spoken, but afterwards, there is a lack of a shared image of what has been decided. Visual techniques help make strategic conversations concrete, vivid, and impactful.
Technique: Visual Course Line
Have participants visually imagine their desired future: what do we see, hear, and feel in 2030 if we have been successful? Then link concrete steps back to that and create a visual course line. The result: more shared ownership and a tangible vision of the future that you can literally make visible as an organization - for example, on the wall, as a lasting reminder of the choices made.
5. No Strategy Without a Follow-Up Step
An inspiring session is nice, but without a follow-up plan, everything disappears into the drawer. So make sure you, as a leader, conclude with concrete actions and ownership.
Technique: Strategy Sprint Canvas
Use a simple canvas where participants fill in three things:
- What am I taking with me?
- What am I going to do?
- What do I need for that?
Have everyone briefly present this to the group. This increases engagement and accountability.
Ready for a strategy session that truly provides direction?
A strong strategy session is more than an agenda with discussion points - it is an investment in the future of your organization. The techniques in this article help you on your way, but the real value lies in how you apply them.
At The Forward Club, we believe that strategy doesn't have to be a paper tiger, but a living document that grows with you. We help organizations and teams design and facilitate sessions that not only inspire but also lead to concrete choices and sustainable impact.
Do you want to confidently set a course, with an eye on what is coming your way tomorrow, next year, or in ten years? Contact us - we are happy to help you put together your perfect strategy session or schedule a tailored session directly.
This article was created in collaboration with Lieke and Talisa from The Forward Club. For more information, visit www.theforward.club.
