Beyond the Plan: How Adele Baaini’s Framework Makes Strategic Planning Truly Work
In a world where change is constant and the unexpected is inevitable, everyone talks about strategic planning but few deliver on the promise. That’s where the notion of strategic planning that works takes centre-stage, and in the approach of Adele Baaini, it's more than just a buzz-phrase. Her methodology combines clarity of purpose, aligned systems, and measurable execution to bring strategy from the whiteboard to reality.
Setting the Scene: Why Strategic Planning That Works Matters
According to Baaini’s recent blog, leadership today isn’t just about setting goals, it’s about holding the space where teams, systems and culture can operate together. Meanwhile, on her podcast, she points out that many organisations “craft lofty goals, but when it comes to execution, things often unravel, structures buckle, teams burn out, and culture drifts.
When you commit to strategic planning that works, you say goodbye to plans that live in dusty folders and hello to systems that behave like living engines of growth.
The Core of Her Approach
1. Purpose First
Baaini emphasises that before you dive into “what we’ll do” or “how we’ll grow”, you must first clarify why the organisation exists. On her blog she states that starting with a clear purpose ensures that subsequent strategic decisions are grounded.
When you embed that into the framework, your strategic planning that works is aligned with more than metrics—and it becomes meaningful.
2. People • Process • Purpose
Her framework pivots on three interlocking pillars: People, Process and Purpose. On her blog, she writes that a growth-first culture arises when each of these elements is in sync: your people know their roles, your processes support your ambitions, and the purpose keeps everything tethered.
In essence, strategic planning that works isn’t purely about budgeting or forecasting it’s about designing the operating system of the organisation.
3. From Strategy to Execution
Having a vision is one thing; executing it is another. In the podcast episode “How Adele Baaini’s Proven Framework Makes Strategic Planning That Works”, she zeroes in on the gap between ambition and action.
She advocates for translating strategy into actionable “chunks”: measurable KPIs, clear ownership, regular reviews and feedback loops. That is how strategic planning that works moves beyond intention.
4. Culture & Growth Without Chaos
One of the hallmarks of her message is growth but not at any cost. She encourages scaling in a way that retains structure, identity and people-focus. On her blog she writes about “growth-first culture… not only about chasing numbers. It is about creating the right environment where people, processes and goals all work together.”
When you prioritise such a culture, strategic planning that works means sustaining rather than sacrificing.
Applying the Framework in Practice
Here’s how you might operationalise Baaini’s approach to deliver strategic planning that works:
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Clarify your core purpose: Write a concise statement that articulates why the organisation exists and what unique value it offers.
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Audit your foundations: Review roles, processes, systems and culture. Identify where people are unclear, where workflows break down or where the purpose is ambiguous.
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Break strategy into action: Set 3-5 strategic goals. For each one define measurable outcomes, assign an owner, a timeline and a supporting system.
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Embed culture of accountability: Foster open communication, celebrate milestones, incorporate learning. This ensures your strategic planning works is alive, not stagnant.
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Monitor, review and adjust: Don’t treat the plan as “set and forget”. Monthly/quarterly check-ins ensure you respond to change, stay resilient and sustain growth.
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Scale with integrity: Before pressing “accelerate”, test whether your systems, teams and culture can handle growth. The last thing you want is growth that breaks the business.
Why This Framework Resonates
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It’s practical, not theoretical: Baaini’s experience spans business development, operations and growth-stage leadership, giving her framework roots in reality.
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It’s holistic: It doesn’t treat strategic planning as a document to tick off it treats it as an operating rhythm.
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It focuses on sustainability, not just speed: Growth is essential, but so is longevity.
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It aligns people, purpose and process: Many strategic plans ignore culture or operations; Baaini’s doesn’t.
Final Word
When organisations aim for strategic planning that works, the difference lies not in the grandness of the ambition, but in the coherence of the system behind it. Using Adele Baaini’s framework means aligning purpose, building robust systems, activating teams and monitoring continuously. It means refusing to accept the dusty strategic slide deck and instead evolving a living plan that fuels real growth.
If you’re ready to shift from “we have a strategy” to “our strategy drives results”, then adopt the elements above: clarity, structure, execution and culture. Then you’ll realise that strategic planning that works isn’t an extra—it is the way you operate.
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