How to write a one-page strategy that is actually useful

The one-page strategy has become a bit of a cliche, which is a shame, because the underlying idea is sound. If you cannot describe your strategic direction on a single page, you probably do not have a clear strategic direction yet. The page is not the goal; the clarity is. The page is just the test.

Three questions, nothing else ¶

A one-page strategy answers three questions. Where are you trying to get to, and by when? What is the specific bet you are making to get there? What are you choosing not to do, at least for now? Everything else is either a tactic or a value statement, and those belong in different documents.

The third question is the hardest. Most organisations resist writing down what they are not doing because it feels like closing doors. In practice, it is what makes the strategy real. A strategy that does not exclude anything is a wish list.

Common mistakes ¶

Ruth sees these in almost every first draft. They are not signs of bad thinking; they are signs of a document that has not been through enough drafts yet. The first version of a one-pager is almost always too long and too vague. That is normal.

• Listing activities instead of outcomes
• Writing values where strategy should be
• Leaving the time horizon vague ('in the medium term')
• Including too many priorities (more than three is not a priority list)
• Describing the current situation rather than the intended direction

How to test it ¶

Read the finished page to someone who does not work in your organisation. Ask them what you are choosing not to do. If they cannot tell you, the page needs another draft. Ask them what success looks like in twelve months. If they give you a vague answer, the outcome is not specific enough.

This test takes about ten minutes and is more useful than any internal review process.

A one-page strategy is not a finished product. It is a working document that should feel slightly uncomfortable every time you read it, because it is making real commitments. If it feels comfortable, it is probably too vague.