Key Strategic Questions to Consider

OK, I'll let you in on a little secret. The biggest risk in any executive job move isn't the compensation. It’s not the title. It’s not even the scope. It’s the team you’re walking into. The politics. The support you’ll get when the heat’s on. And the battles no one warns you about. And yet. Too many seasoned candidates ask questions like: “What’s the 90-day plan?” “What’s the company vision?” “What’s the culture like?” Nice. Polite. Useless. If you want the real story behind the role Ask better questions. Here are 15 questions for C-suite and top-flight talent to work with: 1. “What’s the real reason this role is open now?” Reveals: political landmines, failed predecessors, or strategic pivots. 2. “What will make this hire fail—regardless of their skill set?” Reveals: hidden risks, culture misalignment, power dynamics. 3. “What surprised the last person who took this role?” Reveals: unspoken expectations and reality-vs-pitch disconnects. 4. “Who stands to gain most if I succeed? Who might feel threatened?” Reveals: internal alliances and opposition—before you step in. 5. “What’s one tough call I’ll need to make in my first 90 days?” Reveals: real priorities and where the pressure lies. 6. “When the last crisis hit, what did this leadership team get right—and wrong?” Reveals: leadership resilience, transparency, and how they handle stress. 7. “What’s the most important thing I’ll need to protect?” Reveals: the company’s sacred cows—and potential no-go zones. 8. “What’s broken, but no one has had the courage to fix?” Reveals: where change is needed—but politically risky. 9. “Who has a strong voice in this company without a title?” Reveals: informal power structures that matter just as much as the org chart. 10. “When was the last time someone said no to the CEO—and what happened?” Reveals: the real openness to dissent and challenge. 11. “What’s a leadership behaviour you quietly reward here?” Reveals: values in action, not just on posters. 12. “Which functions are seen as profit drivers—and which are tolerated overhead?” Reveals: where influence lives—and where it doesn’t. 13. “What does success in this role not look like?” Reveals: the missteps others made, and how to avoid them. 14. “Who are the top 3 internal stakeholders I must win over early?” Reveals: where political capital must be built fast. 15. “What would make you say—12 months from now—‘Hiring you was the best move we made’?” Reveals: expectations, hopes, and how they’ll judge you when the honeymoon ends. These aren’t just “smart” questions. They’re strategy tools. Don’t just be impressive in interviews. Be informed. Be intentional. Be in control. Reshare to help others raise the bar too. ♻ #culturematters #leadership #aviation

Planning a project or an initiative? If you can’t answer these 5 questions, you’re setting yourself up to fail. In the past 18 years managing #projects across different sectors, one thing stands out: The best project managers don’t start with a Gantt chart. They start by asking the right questions. And yet, I’ve seen this framework skipped… even by seasoned professionals. Let’s go back to the basics that work. Every solid project I’ve led has had clear answers to the “4W + 1H”: 1. WHY Why does this project exist? This reveals the root problem and aligns the team. No 'why', no buy-in. 2. WHAT What are we delivering? Get specific. What’s the outcome, and how will we know it’s a success? 3. WHEN When does it need to be done? Without a timebox, Parkinson’s Law kicks in: work expands to fill the time. 4. WHO Who owns the outcome? Define the single accountable person. Then clarify the team. 5. HOW How will we get there? Outline the key milestones, risks, and resources needed. This may sound basic. But you’d be surprised how many projects - yes, even in large, high-growth organizations - crumble without these hygiene factors. The moment we define these five answers clearly, we already have the foundation for a #ProjectCharter. It aligns #stakeholders. It unlocks #commitment and #budget. And most importantly, it sets the path for real execution. So before jumping into your next big initiative, pause and ask: Why, What, When, Who, and How. The strongest strategies are built on simple truths. _____ Like what you read? Then click that like button, share this post, and follow me for more pragmatic tips into #career, #leadership, and #growth.

Your marketing team is building campaigns on quicksand. 70% of CEOs think their strategy is clear, but only 10% of their teams agree. That's why your ads aren't converting. That gap? It's where misalignment lives. Where priorities get lost. Where momentum dies. If you're scaling a company, there's nothing more dangerous than thinking your strategy is clear when it's not. This Wheel of Strategy breaks it down into 4 essential areas with 20 dead-simple, high-impact questions: 🧭 Purpose & Direction → Why do we exist? Who actually needs us? → What's our mission in one clear sentence? → What do we believe that drives how we operate? → Where do we want to be in 3 years? → What would success look like if nothing held us back? 📊 Market & Advantage → Who is our highest-value customer? → What pain are they feeling every day? → What's changing in our industry? How do we stay ahead? → Why do people choose us—or not? → What can we offer that's hard to copy? 📈 Goals & Metrics → What are our top 3 priorities right now? → What does success look like this quarter? → What's the one number that matters most today? → How do we review progress each week? → What milestone will tell us we're winning? ⚙️ Actions & Tactics → What must we deliver in the next 90 days? → Who owns each outcome? By when? → What's currently blocked? How do we fix it fast? → What quick wins will build momentum now? → When and how will we check in and adjust? Here's why this matters for your marketing strategy: These questions ARE your marketing foundation. Every campaign decision flows from these answers: → Can't answer "Who needs us?" You're targeting everyone and converting no one → Unclear on customer pain? Your messaging will miss the mark completely → No defined advantage? You're competing on price in a race to the bottom → Fuzzy goals? You can't prove marketing ROI or optimize spend I've seen brilliant creative campaigns fail because they weren't built on strategic clarity. And I've seen simple campaigns drive massive growth because every message aligned with clear business strategy. Your marketing team can't build what your leadership team hasn't defined. Start here. Get alignment on these 20 questions first. Then build your marketing strategy. Which question would your leadership team struggle to answer unanimously? Image: Eric Partaker ♻️ Found this helpful? Repost to share with your network. ⚡ Want more content like this? Hit follow Maya Moufarek.

Making Big Business Decisions – A Thoughtful Approach Every now and then, we’re faced with big decisions—ones that can shape our future and aren’t easily undone. I recently found myself at a crossroads with an important choice, and it got me thinking… How do you really know if you’re making the right call? Decision-making is a skill, and like any skill, it can be refined. So, I wanted to share the thought process I used to weigh up my options—hopefully, it might be useful to you too. 1. Will This Move Me Forward? Before committing to anything, ask yourself: - Does this challenge push me to grow? - Will it improve my skills, leadership, or profile? - Do I feel energised and excited about it, or does it feel like a heavy weight? If a decision helps you grow and excites you, it’s worth serious consideration. 2. Does It Align with My Goals? Short-term wins are great, but do they serve the bigger picture? Consider: - Does this choice move me towards my long-term vision or just provide a quick win? - Will it accelerate my progress or pull me away from what truly matters? A decision should keep you on track, not lead you into distractions disguised as opportunities. 3. Is It Aligned with My Core Values? Your values define how you run your business and make decisions. Before committing, think: - Does this choice reflect my principles and ethics? - Will it enhance the culture of my business or create friction? If a decision doesn’t sit right with your values, it’s probably not the right move. 4. The Practical Stuff – Can I Actually Do This? Beyond strategy and values, there’s the reality check: - Do I have the time, energy, and resources to make this work? - What are the risks, and are they worth it? - What am I saying no to by saying yes to this? Every opportunity comes with an opportunity cost. Make sure it’s one worth paying. Big decisions don’t need to be made on impulse. When you take the time to step back, reflect, and test the decision against these key questions, you can gain the clarity and confidence in the path you choose.

A new VP walks into their first board meeting…. They’re fired up. Confident. Ready to talk deals. Then the CFO starts asking about gross margin. The CEO wants a breakdown of sales efficiency. A board member asks about next quarter’s pipeline risk. And suddenly, that confidence evaporates. They realize: “I don’t know what I don’t know.” If you just stepped into a VP role...or plan to...here are 10 questions you need to be able to answer before your next board meeting: Revenue performance & pipeline: 1. What’s your current pipeline coverage, and how does it compare to historical conversion rates? 2. What are the top 3 reasons deals are slipping or being lost right now? 3. Where is your growth actually coming from...net new logos, expansion, or increased ACV? Sales efficiency & forecasting: 4. What’s your team’s quota attainment distribution? Are you top-heavy or middle-loaded? 5. What’s your current sales cycle length, and how does it vary by segment? 6. What’s your win rate by stage? Are there any drop off points that indicate a messaging or process problem? Financial & board level metrics: 7. What’s your company’s CAC payback period? Is it improving or getting worse? 8. How are your gross margins trending, and how does that impact sales compensation strategy? 9. What’s your team’s productivity benchmark (ARR per AE) vs. best-in-class SaaS benchmarks? Next quarter’s strategy: 10. What specific levers are you pulling next quarter to improve pipeline, close rates, or deal size? Most new VPs get caught up in individual deals and rep performance. In doing so, they miss the bigger picture. The board doesn’t care that one of your reps closed a big deal last week. They care about repeatability, efficiency, and risk. If you don’t have answers to these questions yet, get them. Because if you don’t know, someone else in that boardroom does. And they’ll be the ones making the decisions. cc Mor and Krysten per your request the other day. 🙂 Any questions you’d add that might bump one of these off the top 10?

STRATEGY IS NOT A DOCUMENT. IT IS A DISCIPLINE OF CHOICES. Many organizations are full of plans, targets, budgets, review meetings and dashboards. Yet they still struggle to answer the most fundamental strategic questions: Where will we play? How will we win? What will we deliberately not do? What capabilities will convert intent into advantage? That is because a plan organizes action, but a strategy creates advantage. In this 16-slide strategy series, I have tried to simplify some of the most powerful strategic concepts into practical leadership frameworks: ➤ Strategy vs Plan — understanding the difference between direction and execution. ➤ SCALE Framework — aligning Strategy, Cash, Alignment, Leadership and Execution for sustainable growth. ➤ McKinsey 7S Model — ensuring strategy, structure, systems, people and culture reinforce one another. ➤ Scaling Principles — growing without losing cash discipline, capability or control. ➤ Pyramid of Strategy — translating vision into priorities, initiatives, tactics and action plans. ➤ Winning Strategy Pillars — connecting direction, demand, advantage and economics. ➤ What Strategy Is Not — moving beyond wish lists, copied models and endless activity. ➤ One-Page Strategy Map — linking purpose, choices, capabilities, priorities and measures. ➤ Wheel of Strategy — asking the questions that sharpen strategic coherence. ➤ Strategic, Tactical and Operational Planning — connecting boardroom ambition to daily execution. ➤ Strategic Storytelling — making strategy understandable, memorable and actionable. ➤ Strategic Mindset Shifts — moving from firefighting to focus, from activity to outcomes, and from dependence to resilience. ➤ Strategic Thinking Wheel — solving complex problems through disciplined curiosity. ➤ The Strategy Loop — continuously connecting choices, execution, measurement and learning. ➤ Five Pillars of Strong Strategy — purpose, focus, differentiation, execution and adaptation. ➤ Skyscraper of Strategy — remembering that sustainable success is built floor by floor, not declared in a single presentation. The leadership takeaway: A strong strategy is not about doing more. It is about creating clarity on: ✓ What matters most ✓ Where the organization can truly win ✓ What trade-offs must be accepted ✓ What capabilities must be strengthened ✓ How progress will be measured ✓ How learning will continuously refine direction Strategy succeeds only when it becomes visible in decisions, resource allocation, ownership, culture and execution rhythm. Great organizations do not merely prepare strategic plans. They build strategic alignment, strategic capability and strategic discipline. #Strategy #StrategicLeadership #BusinessStrategy #Leadership #ExecutionExcellence #OrganizationalAlignment #GrowthStrategy #Management #BusinessTransformation #StrategicThinking

I have interviewed hundreds of procurement candidates over the years, and I have sat on the other side of the table too. Here is what I have learned: the questions that separate a good procurement professional from a great one are almost never about price. So I have pulled together the questions I actually care about when I am hiring or coaching. If you are preparing for an interview, or building your own hiring scorecard, save this. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀: 1) What is the difference between strategic sourcing and purchasing? If a candidate cannot draw this line clearly, they will manage transactions, not value. 2) What is your definition of procurement value beyond cost reduction? Cost savings is the floor, not the ceiling. I want to hear about risk, resilience, and innovation. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: 3) How would you develop a supplier when there is only one available in a country? This separates the textbook answer from real-world maturity. 4) Walk me through a time you addressed poor supplier performance. I am listening for ownership, not blame. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: 5) Tell me about your most challenging negotiation and what you learned. The best people remember the loss, not just the win. 6) How do you manage the procure-to-pay process and where does it break? Anyone can describe P2P. I want to know where they have actually felt the pain. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: 7) How do you manage a boss who lacks procurement expertise? This is the question nobody prepares for, and it reveals everything about influence and emotional intelligence. 8) How do you handle disagreement with internal stakeholders on a sourcing decision? Procurement does not win by authority. It wins by persuasion. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: 9) What are the top supply chain risks you monitor and how do you mitigate them? I want named, specific risks they have lived through. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀: 10) What is your perspective on AI and automation in procurement? In 2026, "I am keeping an eye on it" is no longer an acceptable answer. 11) How can procurement contribute to sustainability goals? Give me an example you have led, not an opinion you hold. Here is my honest view: most procurement interviews still over-index on cost reduction and category jargon. The function has moved on. The professionals who will lead the next decade are the ones who can connect sourcing to strategy, risk, technology, and the boardroom. If you can answer the questions above with real stories and quantified results, you are not interviewing for a procurement job. You are interviewing for a seat at the leadership table. Which of these would trip you up? Be honest in the comments.

Most strategy review workshops are a waste of time. Not because people don’t care. But because they ask shallow questions and avoid uncomfortable truths. This week, I ran a leadership session with a simple goal: 👉 Review how our transformation is really going. 👉 Decide what to change, double down on, or let go of. We used this structure to get deep, fast. We explored 5 key dimensions: 1️⃣ Strategic Progress → Are we making progress on what we said matters most? → How well are we addressing the strategic challenges we set out to solve? → Which goals or priorities are on track, off track, or obsolete? → Are we solving real problems, or just executing activity? 💡 This focuses the group on outcomes rather than busyness. 2️⃣ Organizational Behavior & Culture → Are we behaving differently, or just talking about it? → What new behaviors are becoming the norm? → Where is old culture pulling us back? → Are people taking ownership or waiting for direction? 💡 This surfaces whether the transformation is truly lived or just branded. 3️⃣ Collaboration & Decision-Making → Are we leading as a team, or still operating in silos? → Are we making cross-functional trade-offs or defending turf? → Are decisions made fast and close to the action, or slow and political? → Do we challenge each other constructively or avoid conflict? 💡 This reveals if the leadership team is truly aligned and acting as one. 4️⃣ Execution System & Governance → Do we have the right mechanisms to move forward with clarity and speed? → Do we have clear ownership, milestones, and feedback loops? → Are strategic initiatives (EPICs, programs, workstreams) delivering? → Is governance enabling or bureaucratic? 💡 This shows whether your transformation engine is tuned for progress or stuck in planning. 5️⃣ Customer & Market Impact → Is the transformation visible to the outside world? → What’s changed for our customers or stakeholders? → Are we delivering new value or just optimizing internally? 💡 This gets you out of the building. Then we asked 3 provocative questions at each dimension: – What needs to shift? – What do we need to double down on? – What’s becoming more (or less) important? Here’s how it worked: ✅ Small rotating groups ✅ Flipcharts at each dimension ✅ Start–Stop–Continue format ✅ Gallery walk + dot voting to surface shared priorities ✅ Team-wide synthesis to define clear next steps The result? No buzzwords. No corporate theater. Just clarity, alignment, and commitment. What's your go-to format for strategy reviews? ♻️ Please share to help someone you know make better strategy. Follow Dr. Marc Sniukas for more practical strategy insights.

A lot of teams fall into the same trap: they take the 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘞𝘪𝘯 framework — with its famous five questions — and try to "fill in the blanks" to create strategy. But here’s the problem... 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞. What’s missing is 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 — the structured, imaginative, rigorous work of making real choices. That’s where the 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 comes in. 🧩 Here’s how it works: 1. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 What outcomes are you producing? What behaviors are driving them? What implicit choices are shaping those behaviors? 2. 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 Describe a future that is better — not perfect. What behaviors need to change? What’s your aspiration from the customer's perspective? 3. 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 Which actions are most critical to success — and what’s blocking them? 4. 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 Ask: “How might we overcome this challenge?” Don’t jump to one answer. Build multiple strategic options — each with its own internal logic. 5. 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬 Take each promising idea and flesh it out into a coherent cascade of choices (Where to Play, How to Win, Capabilities, Systems). 6. 𝐀𝐬𝐤: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞? For each scenario to work, what assumptions must hold? Don’t ask if they are true yet — just identify them. 7. 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 & 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 Which assumptions are uncertain? What barriers need to be broken? What experiments or pilots could reduce the risk? 8. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 Based on evidence and logic, choose the best path now. Also define what might change that choice — and install early-warning flags. 9.𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐈𝐭 Translate the choice into actions, behaviors, and downstream decisions. This is where strategy turns into reality. ⚠️ 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 ≠ 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Strategy fails when choices are made but not enacted. That’s why this process emphasizes activation and alignment at every step. This isn’t just theory — it’s a tested way to escape “me-too” strategies and build something distinctive and durable. If you want to move from PowerPoint strategy to real-world impact, this process is your blueprint. 💬 Curious how this process could work for your team or clients? Let’s talk. --------- I'm Alex Nesbitt. I help CEOs build more effective companies. ♻ Repost to help your network build better strategy.

During my 15 years at Amazon, we often started annual planning cycles with a Vision Planning process. This process required senior leaders to prepare a Vision Document. Here's how they did it. First, the Vision Plans centered on a different theme each year. Some themes were externally focused, such as “How to live in a world where the customer has perfect information?” or “How will Web Services change the way software is built?” Other themes were internally focused, like “How to increase software development speed?” In each case, every VP needed to come to the vision planning offsite with a vision document for their organization based on the assigned theme. A great Vision Document typically covers 7 sections: 1) The Five-Year Vision Start by defining the desired end state. Where do you want the business to be five years from now? This section is aspirational but should be grounded in reality. Think of it as your team’s answer to, “What does winning look like?” 2) Market Background What is the size of the opportunity? Who are the competitors? What are the macro trends? This is where you show that you understand the broader playing field and where it’s heading. 3) Current State Where are we today? As Jim Collins puts it, you must confront the brutal facts to achieve long-term success. Explain how each participant in the market creates value for customers, identify customer problems that aren’t being well served and describe the biggest challenges and opportunities for your team. 4) Strategy How are you going to win? What are the key strategic bets? Which customers will you serve? What tradeoffs are you making? One of the most important things is to state what must be true to achieve the vision. Some you have control over and some may be outside of your control. 5) Resourcing What people, skills, technology, and capital will be required? When will you need them? Suppose you need to acquire a new skill in the company. What are the paths to do so? Through developing existing employee skills? Hiring externally? Acquiring or partnering with other companies? 6) FAQ Use this section to anticipate and answer tough questions. A good required FAQ is to ask and answer: What are the best reasons not to pursue this idea? The point is not to talk yourself out of the idea. Rather it is to combat the bias and excitement of a new idea someone is trying to sell. 7) Appendices Include only what’s essential: relevant data, market analysis, org charts, etc. Appendices should support the narrative, not distract from it. A strong vision document doesn’t have a fixed format. Teams should tailor it to their context. However, the best documents almost always have a version of the above traits. Additionally, they almost always: - Are narratives, not slide decks - Use simple, direct language - Call out risks and uncertainties, not just upside - Make a balanced assessment that seeks truth (cont in comments)