They were a tight-knit community bank.

Smart. Ambitious.

And unfocused.

Every year, they’d roll out a new “strategic plan.”

Pages of priorities.

A dozen new initiatives.

Charts. Metrics. Posters.

It looked impressive.

But behind closed doors?

Nobody knew where to start.

Their meetings felt like déjà vu.

Projects stalled.

People stopped caring.

Strategy became a buzzword.

When they called me, they didn’t need more ideas.

They needed a plan that actually worked.

So, we threw out the laundry list.

We cut the noise.

We asked: What are the three things that will truly move the needle this year?

That’s when it clicked.

With fewer goals, they had more focus.

Meetings became decisive.

Progress was visible.

And for the first time, people felt energized instead of overwhelmed.

Here’s the truth:

Most “strategic plans” fail because they’re not plans.

They’re wish lists.

A good strategy doesn’t feel glamorous.

It feels clear.

It’s a handful of bold choices, backed by discipline.

Now this team is leaner, sharper, and winning in their market.

Not because they’re working harder.

But because they finally stopped wishing and started planning.

Cristina “Focus over Fluff” Filippo