1.
#AgileStrategyPlan
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
STOCKER
PARTNERSHIP www.stockerpartnership.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Template version: 09/14
THE AGILE
STRATEGY
PLANNER
This year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Agile Collaborative Simple

2.
Strategic planning is dynamic

3.
Often, strategic plans are not!
{ “Where does strategy live in your organization? If the
answer is on a shelf, you have a problem. Strategies don’t
}
live in thick binders—that’s where they go to die.” Donald Sull & Kathleen Eisenhardt, Harvard Business Review
hbr.org/2012/09/simple-rules-for-a-complex-world/ar/1

4.
So we designed an agile alternative...

5.
The Agile Strategy Planner
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
STOCKER
PARTNERSHIP www.stockerpartnership.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
To view a copy of this license, visit:
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Template version: 09/14
This year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
#AgileStrategyPlan

6.
Template version: 09/14 A bridge between...
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
STOCKER
PARTNERSHIP www.stockerpartnership.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
To view a copy of this license, visit:
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Strategic
intent
Detailed
implementation

7.
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
STOCKER
PARTNERSHIP www.stockerpartnership.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
To view a copy of this license, visit:
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Template version: 09/14
This year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
All you need is...
An Agile Strategy
Planner printed at A0 size
A wall
Small sticky notes
Either 51mm x 38mm or 38mm
x 25mm to fit even more on
1
2
3
4 Your strategic planning team

8.
The tool is... Using it...
Agile
Flexible
Collaborative
Transparent
Easy to use
Visual
Creates focus
Clarifies direction
Aids leadership
Improves communication
Increases engagement
Ensures action

9.
The Agile Strategy Planner allows
for complex dynamic situations
All organisations have multiple strategic
dimensions
Strategies are formed by many
interdependent—sometimes
competing—elements
Some of these elements are within
a company’s control; others are not Not everything
The direction of all businesses
shifts and changes over time
Individuals, teams and departments all need
to work together to execute
goes to plan

10.
How to use the Agile Strategy Planner:
a short guide
(It really is very simple)

11.
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
This year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
3
STOCKER
PARTNERSHIP www.stockerpartnership.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Template version: 09/14
The planner has 4 key elements
1
4
Time 2
Strategic dimensions
This
year’s
activity
Future
strategic
activity

12.
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
Year 1 Year 3
STOCKER
PARTNERSHIP www.stockerpartnership.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
To view a copy of this license, visit:
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Template version: 09/14
And requires 4 basic steps
Using individual sticky notes, add in your key milestones, projects
and activities for each strategic dimension and each year.
Ensure that your resulting plan is cohesive, realistic and
integrated to give your organisation the best chance of
achieving your goals.
Communicate the strategy to the rest of your organisation.
Delegate projects. Manage performance. Review regularly.
* This can be your senior leadership team or a cross-functional strategic planning team
1
2
3
4
With your team*, fill in your strategic
dimensions down the left hand side of the
planner and add the years along the top.
This year Year 2

13.
Visualising our past, present and future activities helped us recognise our
company successes, tighten our future development strategies and
cross-reference all departments within the company to ensure a strong and
coherent company plan.
The Agile Strategy Planner has also allowed us to demonstrate to the
whole company that our development plan is a working document. Working
with Matt and Debbie, our Planning Group first outlined intentions and
proposed activities for coming years. The planner was then introduced to all
staff and is now permanently displayed in a communal area of the building. All
staff have the opportunity to contribute to the company plan, highlight new
ideas and input into any planned changes.
Cate Rae
Director & Chief Operating Officer
“
“
“
“
used the Agile Strategy Planner
to create a company development plan

14.
Download your blank
Agile Strategy Planners (pdf)
This year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 This year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
STOCKER
PARTNERSHIP www.stockerpartnership.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
To view a copy of this license, visit:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
Template version: 09/14
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
STOCKER
PARTNERSHIP www.stockerpartnership.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
To view a copy of this license, visit:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Template version: 09/14
3-year plan 5-year plan
Free downloads

15.
A more detailed how-to...
(For those of you who actually read instructions!)

16.
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
STOCKER
PARTNERSHIP www.stockerpartnership.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
To view a copy of this license, visit:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Template version: 09/14
1. Strategic dimensions
This year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
1
Strategic dimensions

17.
Strategic dimensions: what are they?
‣ Strategic dimensions are the levers that are pulled within
your company to achieve your vision, strategic priorities
and core objectives.
‣ These dimensions might be based on targets, key
performance indicators, areas of work, functions, business
units, departments, teams, strategic priorities or other
activities.
‣ All dimensions need to be within your company’s control. If
you cannot control the outcome through your own
actions, you are setting yourself up to fail.
‣ Every organisation has a different set of strategic
dimensions and you’ll need to carefully decide your own.

18.
Strategic dimensions: examples
You might find some of the following strategic dimensions are
relevant for you or there may be others uniquely your own...
‣ Financial targets
Such as turnover, sales, profit margin, etc.
‣ Sales
‣ Marketing
‣ Operations
‣ Logistics
‣ R & D
‣ Human resources
‣ Finance
‣ Product development
‣ International markets
New or existing
‣ Domestic markets
New or existing
‣ Acquisitions
‣ Partner relationships
‣ IT infrastructure
‣ Raising finance
‣ Admin

19.
Strategic dimensions: how to define them
1
2
3
To define your strategic dimensions, first
gather thoughts and ideas about the
most important levers/areas of activity
within your organisation. A whiteboard is
a great place to do this.
As you gather these ideas, you should
begin to see groupings and themes
emerge. These are your dimensions.
For example, a grouping that included training, recruitment, leadership,
succession planning and appraisals might be the dimension, ‘People
Development’ or ‘HR’, while another grouping that included campaigns,
catalogue, events, and offers might be the dimension ‘Marketing’.
Finally, determine which dimensions are
critical and within your control. Prioritise
these as the focus for your planner.

20.
Strategic dimensions: most important first
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
STOCKER
PARTNERSHIP www.stockerpartnership.com
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Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Template version: 09/14
Put the most important strategic
dimensions at the top. These anchor the
remaining dimensions.
Activities in other dimensions should
cascade from your critical dimensions.
For example, sales and marketing might be anchored around your
product roadmap or financial targets. Alternatively, activity within your
organisation might be primarily driven by sales.
Use different colour sticky notes to
visualise these different groupings.

21.
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
STOCKER
PARTNERSHIP www.stockerpartnership.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
To view a copy of this license, visit:
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Template version: 09/14
Time 2
This year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
2. Time

22.
First, decide whether to use the 3-year or 5-year planner
based on how far you would like to look ahead.
Note: with more columns, you do end up with less room for content.
Next, decide whether This year should be the current
calendar year or your financial year.
Finally, fill in the appropriate dates for subsequent years.
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
1
Time: explained
2
3
This year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

23.
If you run out of room (either for strategic dimensions or
subsequent years), simply add additional posters to the
bottom and/or left of your main planner.
4
Time: expanding the planner
The Agile Strategy Planner The Agile Strategy Planner
This year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6
The Agile Strategy Planner The Agile Strategy Planner

24.
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
STOCKER
PARTNERSHIP www.stockerpartnership.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
To view a copy of this license, visit:
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Template version: 09/14
3. This year’s activity
This year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 3
This
year’s
activity

25.
Now it’s time to add in what you’ve achieved so far this year.
Using sticky notes, add key milestones, projects and other
relevant activities across each of your strategic dimensions.
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
1
This year’s activity: explained
This year Year 1 Year 2

26.
Once you’ve finished, take a moment to stand back and
celebrate what you’ve achieved!
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
STOCKER
PARTNERSHIP www.stockerpartnership.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Template version: 09/14
2
This year’s activity: explained
This year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Wow, we’ve
achieved more than
I thought this year! Boom!
There it is...

27.
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
STOCKER
PARTNERSHIP www.stockerpartnership.com
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Template version: 09/14
4. Future strategic activity
This year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
4
Future
strategic
activity

28.
Based upon your vision, strategic priorities and core
objectives,* it’s now time to fill in your ideas for the
future. In the same way as you did for This year, discuss
and agree as a team which key milestones, projects and
other relevant activities should go where.
* If you don’t already have these in place, take some time to work these out first.
You can start from either end of the strategy planner.
Either begin with today and work forward, or start with
where you would like to be in 3-5 years’ time and work
back. Or a bit of both and meet in the middle!
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
1
Future strategic activity: explained
2
This year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

29.
Whatever you do, keep it realistic! Don’t try to do too
much or you’ll set yourself up to fail before you’ve even
started. By all means be ambitious, but don’t over do it—
your strategy needs to focus on the things you can
control.
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
3
Future strategic activity: explained
This year Year 1 Year 2 Set up
Take over
Retire to
business new
world!
the
private
island

30.
Whatever you do, keep it realistic! Don’t try to do too
much or you’ll set yourself up to fail before you’ve even
started. By all means be ambitious, but don’t over do it—
your strategy needs to focus on the things you can
control.
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
3
Future strategic activity: explained
This year Year 1 Year 2 Set up
new
break-Reach
business even
Launch
Version
2.0

31.
Make sure that each sticky note only has ‘one thing’
written on it as you might want to move it around later.
Remember, the very nature of the Agile Strategy Planner is that nothing is set in stone—you can
always bring milestones forward or increase your targets following success. You can also delay
milestones if things don’t quite go to plan.
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
4
Future strategic activity: explained
This year Year 1 Year 2
HR Hired
marketing
manager Hire new
developer

32.
Make sure that each sticky note only has ‘one thing’
written on it as you might want to move it around later.
Remember, the very nature of the Agile Strategy Planner is that nothing is set in stone—you can
always bring milestones forward or increase your targets following success. You can also delay
milestones if things don’t quite go to plan.
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
4
Future strategic activity: explained
This year Year 1 Year 2
HR Hired
marketing
manager Hire new
developer

33.
Use the space within each column to show
approximately when in the year you expect each activity
to occur—by quarter or roughly beginning, middle, end.
5
Future strategic activity: explained
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version: Company:
Year
Strategic
dimensions This year Year 1 Year 2 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Beg Mid End

34.
Make sure all dimensions are balanced: if you have an
ambitious roadmap that will require more resource, you
need to schedule additional supporting activities (such as
recruitment, finance, marketing, etc) at the right time.
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
6
Future strategic activity: explained
This year Year 1 Year 2 Product
roadmap Launch
Major update
with
& integration
Version 1.0 with new
partner
Customer
targets
Sales
20% monthly
growth of
new sign-ups Finalise
pricing before
launch
100 engaged
beta testers
Reach 1,500
subscribers
Reach
break-even
point
HR

35.
Make sure all dimensions are balanced: if you have an
ambitious roadmap that will require more resource, you
need to schedule additional supporting activities (such as
recruitment, finance, marketing, etc) at the right time.
The Agile Strategy Planner Date: Version:
Year
Strategic
dimensions
Hire new
developer
6
Future strategic activity: explained
This year Year 1 Year 2 Product
roadmap Launch
Major update
with
& integration
Version 1.0 with new
partner
Customer
targets
Sales
20% monthly
growth of
new sign-ups Finalise
pricing before
launch
100 engaged
beta testers
Reach 1,500
subscribers
Reach
break-even
point
HR Hire new
customer
service
representative

36.
Hints and tips
Get buy-in: Involve people with responsibility for your
different strategic dimensions from the very start to ensure
development of a coherent plan and ownership of strategy.
Review and learn: Plan > Do > Learn > Adapt.
As a team, review your plan on a regular basis. Tick things
off, add things, move things, delete things—the more
up-to-date your plan is, the better.
Communicate: Don’t assume that because you know
where the organisation is headed, the rest of your staff do.
As leadership, ensure that you take the time to share the
plan with everyone and to actively involve all.
Plan
Adapt Do
Learn

37.
Hints and tips
Implement brilliantly: Strategy and execution are
inextricably related and equally important. If you never turn
your ideas into action, you’ll never see their results. By giving
your all to delivering the plan, you’ll get great results from
the stuff that works and can improve anything that doesn’t.
Empower your people: Anyone, at any level within
an organisation, can behave strategically. By empowering
your people to make thoughtful choices within the context
of the strategic plan and within their own sphere of
influence, you ensure that everyone owns and contributes
to the strategy and they effectively turn it into action.

38.
Hints and tips
Project manage: Within any strategic plan, there are a
multitude of initiatives and the overarching plan only
scratches the surface of the actions needed. Once you’ve
got an overall plan to guide you, each project needs to be
mapped and turned into real, practical action. A host of
tools are available to help you, including Asana, Basecamp
and LiquidPlanner, to name but a few.
Adapt and evolve: 3 to 5 years is a long time,
especially if your business is part of a fast-moving,
unpredictable market. Don’t see your strategy as being set
in stone but instead use the agility of the planner to
become more agile as an organisation. Adapt for success!

39.
We think good ideas are worth sharing. That’s why
we’ve released the Agile Strategy Planner under
Creative Commons.
This means you can adapt and repurpose the planner
for your specific requirements as long as you attribute
and share alike as per the license agreement below.
The Agile Strategy Planner by
Stocker Partnership Ltd is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
International License.

40.
If you would like support to develop your
strategy or would like us to facilitate discussions
amongst your strategic planning team, contact
the Stocker Partnership and get started today!
+44 (0)24 76 100 193
hello@stockerpartnership.com

41.
STOCKER
PARTNERSHIP
The Stocker Partnership
is a strategic innovation
consultancy
We help organisations to
create and exploit new
opportunities
024 76 100 193
hello@stockerpartnership.com
Matt Stocker
Debbie Stocker
www.stockerpartnership.com
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WE’RE NOT
BIG
BUT WE ARE
CLEVER
@mattstocker
@debbiestocker
Illustrations by Stina Jones (stinajones.co.uk), and Matt Stocker