Goal formulation is the foundation of a successful strategy. Mistakes at this stage can lead to inefficient allocation of resources and missed opportunities. For the project to deliver maximum value, it is important to clearly distinguish between primary and secondary goals, and to focus on the main priorities. Let us look at how to do this correctly.

One of the most common reasons for strategic projects to fail is a lack of clear priorities. Companies often try to achieve everything at once — but this approach reduces effectiveness and dilutes focus.

Primary goals are those without which the project loses its purpose. They require 80% of the time and resources.
Secondary goals are tasks that can be addressed alongside the main work, if additional capacity allows.

Example: A company planned a strategic session to define business priorities for three years. However, the owner adds: «It’s also important to increase team engagement.» In this situation, the primary task remains strategy development, while team-building is secondary.

A clear separation of goals helps to stay focused on what matters and avoid wasting time on less significant tasks.

How goal separation works in practice in a strategic session format?

A strategic session is a powerful tool for goal-setting and team engagement. However, its effectiveness depends on a well-considered structure.

The main steps:

The internal content of the session depends on what goals have been stated. Taking the example above: various feedback mechanics can be used at the end of the session to address the question of team cohesion, but the main discussion will not turn into a team-building training with occasional references to strategic topics.

One of the main mistakes in strategy development is the desire to solve several major challenges at once. As a result, resources are spread too thin and no single goal is fully achieved.

Example: in the course of generating strategic initiatives, a company developed several alternatives for realising the owners’ vision:

In most cases, a strategy with this many focuses cannot be implemented, because at the implementation stage it will face a serious problem: there are simply not enough resources to run in three directions at once. The initiatives and ideas developed always need to be prioritised in terms of which ones best realise the owners’ vision.

Goal formulation is not simply a starting point — it is the foundation of the entire strategy. A clear separation of primary and secondary tasks, focus on priorities, and sound resource management will help build a strategy capable of leading the company to long-term success.