What Does It Really Take to Design a Great Strategy?

Strategy Snippets · Season 1 · Episode 7

[00:00:20] Knowing Your Reality

Melinda:
There are probably many things required for a great strategy, but one essential element is depth and breadth of investigation.

If you don’t understand your reality, you can still produce a strategy—but it won’t be a great one.

Let me give an example.

[00:01:00] A Gardening Illustration

We moved into an older house with a garden bed along the fence. It was empty except for weeds, and I thought, “Great, I’ll plant herbs.”

I assumed all I needed to do was weed the area.

But when I started digging, I discovered multiple layers of weed mat buried underground, rotting retaining boards along the fence, and soil issues I hadn’t expected.

What I thought would take an afternoon became a major project.

If I had investigated properly first, I would have known the real cost, effort, and timeline.

[00:03:30] Why Investigation Matters

When you understand reality properly, you can design a strategy that accounts for it.

If you rush and miss details, the result can be costly—in time, resources, and relationships.

In churches especially, poor strategy can hurt people.

[00:04:30] A Church Example

When my husband and I started pastoring a new church, someone immediately asked, “What are you going to change?”

My answer was, “Not much right now—ask me in a year.”

We needed time to understand the people, the culture, the resources, and the community before making changes.

What works in one place won’t necessarily work in another.

[00:06:00] Learning Before Acting

In ministry, loving God and loving people means taking time to understand before acting.

We shouldn’t be surprised that good change often happens slowly.

There’s a biblical example in Nehemiah—before rebuilding the walls, he surveyed the damage first.

Good leaders investigate before planning.

[00:07:30] Getting Help to Investigate

Sometimes investigation requires a team.

Archaeologists, for example, bring specialists to survey a site before digging. Construction companies measure “rework costs” to understand mistakes caused by poor planning.

When projects aren’t investigated properly, fixing them later can be very expensive.

The best projects are those planned so well that rework isn’t needed.

[00:09:30] Planning Saves Time

Taking time at the beginning often makes execution faster later.

In church leadership, this also allows more people to be involved in the process, which builds ownership and reduces resistance.

People may still feel uncomfortable with change, but they are less likely to resist if they understand what’s happening.

[00:11:00] Bringing People Along

Healthy strategy invites people into the journey.

That doesn’t mean doing everything everyone wants, but it does mean listening, respecting people, and communicating clearly.

When people feel informed and included, they are more willing to invest emotionally and spiritually in the community.

Doing the hard work upfront pays dividends later.