Why 70–90% of Strategic Plans Fail (and How to Beat the Odds)
Intro: The Alarming Truth
Research from HBR and McKinsey shows that 70–90% of strategic plans fail to deliver results. For growth-stage businesses in the $5M–$20M range, that failure rate is more than just frustrating — it’s expensive. It means wasted time, misaligned teams, and leaders stuck wondering why progress never matches ambition.
The truth? Most companies don’t fail because they lack vision. They fail because they lack execution systems that connect strategy to daily work.
In this article, I’ll unpack the five most common reasons strategic plans fail, share a real-world example from my work, and explain how the Advisaurus Goal Setting Framework helps leaders build clarity, accountability, and momentum.
Why Strategic Plans Fail
1. Confusing Activity with Outcomes
Many leadership teams mistake being busy for being effective. Without clarity on what outcomes matter, activity becomes a substitute for progress.
2. Measuring the Wrong Things
OKRs and KPIs can be helpful, but they often highlight outputs (“what got done”) instead of outcomes (“what changed”). Without the right success metrics, teams are flying blind.
3. Lack of Alignment
Goals that don’t connect back to Mission, Vision, and Values (MVV) create drift. Teams work hard but in different directions, with no shared North Star.
4. No Accountability Rhythm
A plan reviewed once a year is doomed to fail. Without monthly leadership reviews and quarterly resets, goals quickly lose relevance and urgency.
5. Overcomplication
Frameworks like EOS or OKRs are powerful, but for many growth-stage companies they’re too heavy. Instead of creating focus, they add layers of process that overwhelm.
The Advisaurus Approach
At Advisaurus, we start every engagement with Mission, Vision, and Values (MVV). Strategy has to be anchored in identity; otherwise, execution feels hollow.
Once the foundation is clear, we help leadership teams translate vision into practice through:
SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.
Strategy vs. Tactics: The path versus the steps — both defined.
Operating Rhythm: Monthly leadership reviews and quarterly town halls to create sustainable accountability.
This blend draws on the discipline of EOS, the measurability of KPIs, and the ambition of OKRs — but roots everything in values, clarity, and execution discipline.
A Real-World Example
Not long ago, I worked with a company in the $10–15M range. They had ambitious growth targets and were using EOS and OKRs, but every quarter felt like starting over. Their leadership team was busy, but progress stalled.
We stripped everything back to their Mission, Vision, and Values, clarified their service offering, and rebuilt their goals into strategies and tactics. Then, we established a monthly leadership rhythm to track accountability.
Within one quarter, revenue stabilized, alignment improved, and the leadership team finally felt confident they were moving in the same direction.
The shift wasn’t adding more frameworks. It was creating clarity and rhythm.
How to Beat the Odds: A 5-Step Playbook
Anchor Every Goal in MVV → Ask: Does this serve our mission and vision?
Break Strategies into Tactics → Define both the big path and the daily steps.
Define Success Metrics → Prioritize leading indicators, not just lagging KPIs.
Schedule the Rhythm → Commit to monthly leadership reviews and quarterly resets.
Keep It Simple → Use tools like Asana or Monday.com to track goals, but don’t let software drive your strategy.
Take the Next Step
Don’t let your strategic plan join the 70–90% that fail.
👉 Download the free Goal Setting Workbook — a practical, human-centered template to anchor goals in mission and values, break them into tactics, and build accountability rhythms.
👉 Or email help@advisaurus.com to schedule a free consultation and explore how Advisaurus can help your business scale with clarity, alignment, and execution.