Let’s be honest, strategy has become a buzzword.

In our recent webinar, “When Strategy Meets Reality: Building Plans That Survive Monday Morning,” Stuart Bryan, President of I-M Technology, cut through the noise to deliver a grounded, practical conversation about what strategy actually is—and why most businesses struggle to make it stick.

If you missed the session or want to revisit the insights, the full recording is available below.

The Real Reason Strategy Fails

It’s not a lack of effort. It’s not even bad ideas.

Most small and midsize organizations fail to move forward because their efforts are scattered. Strategy is how you decide what not to do—how to filter the signal from the noise and align your team's energy behind what matters most.

As Stuart pointed out, activity isn’t the same as progress. Without clear priorities, businesses fall into firefighting mode—confusing movement with momentum.

Why “Good Enough” Strategy Isn’t Enough

Too many strategic plans get left in a folder after the annual retreat. The problem? They weren’t a strategy. They were thought experiments.

Real strategy survives Monday morning. It guides decisions, clarifies tradeoffs, and creates alignment across teams. Without it, decision-making gets decentralized—and chaotic. Everyone does what seems right to them, and that’s how you end up with conflicting priorities and constant burnout at the top.

What Makes Strategy Work?

  • Begin with the end in mind. What’s the outcome you’re really after? Revenue and headcount are just means. Look deeper, what will change if you succeed?
  • Identify the real constraint. Most fires are symptoms, not causes. The root cause usually lives in your processes—or lack thereof.
  • Set priorities that create meaningful change. If achieving your goal doesn’t change anything operationally, it might not be the right goal.
  • Bring strategy closer to work. Too often, planning happens in isolation from the front lines. Ask the people doing the work—they often already know what’s broken.
  • Plan in 90-day sprints. Don’t build castles in the sky. Pick 1–3 meaningful actions, assign clear ownership, and define simple, actionable measurements.
  • Iterate. Strategy isn’t static. Evaluate, adjust, repeat.

 

Avoid These Common Pitfalls

  • Tool-first planning. Tools support strategy—they don’t create it.
  • Too many priorities. When everything is urgent, nothing is.
  • Lack of follow-through. Strategy doesn’t live in a document. It lives in your day-to-day decisions.

Why This Matters (And How We Can Help)

At I-M Technology, we don’t just fix IT issues—we help you build operational maturity. But we can only align with your business goals if we know what those goals are.

That’s why we ask our clients: What’s your strategic plan? Are you growing, scaling back, stabilizing, or selling?  When we know that, we can help you identify gaps, spot risks, and align your technology stack with your actual objectives.

If you’d like help facilitating your next strategic planning session—or even just need a sounding board to get clarity—reach out. Book a discovery call, and let’s make sure your strategy survives Monday morning.

Watch the full webinar replay here: