Co-building a Strategic Plan: Lever for Mobilization and Sustainable Transformation

Exiting the Top-Down Strategic Plan Model

For decades, the strategic plan was seen as a tool for branches only, developed in isolation, and then communicated from the top down. But in a world where uncertainty has become the norm, where employees require meaning and involvement, this model shows its limits. Too often, these plans end up on digital shelves, little read, little understood, even less implemented. Co-construction is therefore a radically different approach: it transforms strategic development into a lever for collective commitment, the mobilization of internal intelligence and organizational agility. It is not about diluting the decision, but about enriching the vision. For managers, COMEX and CODIR, it is a question of moving from control to orchestration, from prescription to activation.

I. Why co-build? Strategic interest for COMEX

Creating membership instead of imposing guidelines

Even a brilliant strategy fails if it is not appropriate. Co-construction creates the conditions for active ownership: teams understand not only the what, but also the why and the how. They participate in the definition of priorities, which transforms resistance into responsibilities. The strategy becomes a shared project, not an imposed directive.

Accelerate implementation

When employees participate in the development, they become natural relays in the transformation. Far from slowing down, co-construction makes execution more fluid. Strategic projects are better understood, decisions are faster, and trade-offs are more robust. Capacity to execute becomes a competitive advantage.

Increase strategic quality

The strategy designed only from the top is based on hypotheses that are sometimes far from the field. Co-construction injects weak signals, customer feedback, and operational insights into the process. The result? A more realistic, more entrenched, more innovative strategy.

II. The 5 Key Steps to Co-Build a Strategic Plan

Framing the process

Effective co-construction is based on a clear framework. The COMEX must define:

• The objectives of the approach (mobilization, innovation, alignment...)
• The scope (global, directional, business...)
• The stakeholders involved (managers, experts, partners...)
• Governance (who decides? Who referees?)
• The calendar (workshops, deliverables, validation loops)

Good framing provides a framework for freedom, not a vague injunction.

Organize the shared diagnosis

It is the base. It is about building a shared vision of the current situation. For this:

• Cross internal analyses (financial, HR, customer) and external analyses (trends, competitors)
• Conduct targeted interviews, focus groups, surveys
• Identify irritants, points of friction, but also differentiating forces

This diagnosis then feeds into prospective scenarios.

Deploy vision and prioritization workshops

Make way for collective intelligence:

• Imagining desirable futures at age 3-5
• Building strategic narratives (transformation narratives)
• Prioritize issues according to clear criteria (impact, feasibility, coherence with values)

Here, formats like World Café, Design Fiction or the Impact Matrix make perfect sense.

Formalize the strategy and the road map

Based on the information collected, COMEX structures:

• A shared, inspiring and mobilizing vision
• Clear strategic axes, connected to the challenges in the field
• A roadmap in time milestones (12, 24, 36 months)
• Management indicators (KPIs) aligned with strategic objectives

The deliverable is not a fixed plan, but a living document.

Establishing living governance loops

It is the differentiating factor. Successful co-construction does not end with the publication of the plan. It is necessary to:

• Organize quarterly or semi-annual reviews
• Track progress indicators
• Adapt continuously according to feedback from the field and changes in the context

The COMEX then manages an adaptive process, not a rigid road map.

III. What Co-Construction Is Changing for Executives

Delegate without losing control

The temptation to be in total control is strong, especially in times of uncertainty. But co-building does not mean giving up management. This means redefining one's role: framing, orienting, arbitrating, and above all trusting.

Managing collective dynamics

The role of COMEX became that of a conductor: to guarantee coherence while promoting local initiatives. Power becomes fluid, distributed, but coordinated.

Assuming complexity and uncertainty

Co-construction does not eliminate risks; it makes them visible, shareable, and therefore controllable. By being open to a diversity of viewpoints, the strategic plan becomes more robust.

IV. Expected Results: Commitment, Impact and Agility

• Commitment : employees who carry the plan, who drive the action
• Impact : clear priorities, aligned projects, visible results
• Agility : a strategy capable of evolving rapidly according to weak signals or breakdowns

These results are measurable, traceable, and shared.

V. Key Tools for Strategic Co-Construction

Collaborative formats: World Café, Design Sprint, Hackathon

Each one allows ideas to emerge, to structure collective thinking, or to prototype actions. The right format depends on the objective and the level of strategic maturity.

Business Intelligence at the service of co-construction

BI is not a post-strategy reporting tool. Here, it becomes a lever for analysis, impact measurement and real-time monitoring. The living strategic plan is based on agile BI, integrated as soon as the KPIs are defined.

Collaborative platforms

Tools like Miro, Klaxoon, Notion or Teams facilitate sharing, continuous feedback, and iteration. They anchor co-construction in daily life.

VI. Conclusion: Govern Differently to Transform Sustainable

Co-building is not a luxury. It is a necessity in an uncertain world. It is also a strong strategic choice: that of building a learning, inclusive, resilient company.

For the COMEX/CODIR, this is an opportunity to renew their role: no longer the architects of a fixed plan, but the guarantors of a living strategic system.

Also to read: Managing Antifragility for Transformation — To go further in resilient and adaptive strategic governance.

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