How to Inspire Your Team with Purpose, Vision and Strategy (Part 2 of 2)
Learn how to diagnose challenges, set guiding policies, and define action plans that unlock motivation and results.
Hey Titans,
In the first part of this two-part series, we unlocked how to spark energy and alignment in your team with a Purpose & Vision workshop.
Now, let’s fuel that momentum with something even more powerful: a strategy that brings your vision to life—and gets your team fired up to own it.
At the end of this article, you'll be able to:
✅ Make the vision achievable by creating a specific roadmap;
✅ Increase team engagement by turning abstract vision into a tangible set of actions.
Have you tried the Purpose & Vision workshop yet? What worked—and what didn’t? Share your story in the comments—I respond to every single one.
Why do I need a Strategy?
Going back to the analogy of the LEGO blocks and fire engine, a strategy is the assembly manual that, alongside the box cover image, helps us connect today’s scattered pieces with tomorrow’s finished vision.
Without a strategy, your team might have all the right components—but no clear idea how they fit together. The result? Frustration, wasted energy, and slow progress.
But when the team sees both the big picture and the instructions to get there, something powerful happens: they start building with purpose.
That sense of clarity turns into motivation—and motivation is what drives performance.
And it’s not just a gut feeling. Research shows that when people connect their present actions to future goals, motivation increases significantly. Whether in classrooms or companies, visualizing success boosts focus, engagement, and follow-through [1][2].
On a personal note, when I moved to Switzerland ten years ago, I dreamed of connecting deeply with the community. Speaking the local languages—German and Italian—was key.
I didn’t get there overnight, but I had a strategy: small actions, structured over time, guided by a clear goal. That made all the difference.
Whatever your version of that dream is—whether it’s building a high-performing team, becoming a stronger leader, or tackling a bold personal challenge—it starts with a strategy.
And that’s exactly what we’re going to build next.
How can I create a Strategy?
So how do you actually build a good strategy?
It starts with clarity—on your business, your context, and your biggest challenge. One of my favorite strategy thinkers, Richard P. Rumelt, in his book "Good Strategy, Bad Strategy" breaks it down into a simple framework I use all the time.
Let’s walk through it.
1. Diagnosis
The Diagnosis helps us identify our main problem by asking: "What's stopping us from reaching our goals?" It's like taking a snapshot of where we are now and comparing it to where we want to be, so we can spot what's standing in our way.
2. Guiding Policy
A guiding policy is a simple, clear set of rules that tell you how to solve your main challenge. It's like a roadmap that shows you which direction to take and helps you make decisions along the way.
3. Action Plan
Create a clear action plan that follows your guiding policy. Your actions should be:
Realistic and achievable
Focused on solving your main challenge
Connected to each other in a logical way
Aligned with your overall strategy
Think of it like building steps to reach your goal - each step should naturally lead to the next one and bring you closer to where you want to be.
Creating a Good Strategy: A practical example
Developing a good strategy is crucial for both emerging tech leads and overwhelmed middle managers. It helps in addressing challenges, aligning teams, and achieving goals.
Here, we'll walk through a step-by-step example of creating a strategy that can be applied in real-world scenarios.
Scenario: Enhancing Team Efficiency through OKRs
Let's consider a scenario where a tech lead wants to improve team efficiency by implementing Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).
Step 1: Diagnosis
What is the challenge?
Diagnosis: the team is struggling with meeting project deadlines due to inefficient workflow management.
Why is that?
Analysis: current processes are manual, leading to delays and miscommunication among team members.
Step 2: Guiding Policy
What do we want to achieve?
Objective: implement a project management tool to streamline workflows and enhance collaboration.
What is the desired outcome?
Key Results:
Successfully onboard all team members onto the new tool within 6 weeks.
Achieve a 20% reduction in project completion time within 3 months.
Receive positive feedback from at least 80% of team members on the new workflow by the end of the quarter.
Step 3: Coherent Action
What are the steps towards achieving the desired outcome?
Action Plan:
Research and choose the tool for the job: evaluate project management tools (e.g., Basecamp, Trello) based on team needs and budget.
Training and onboarding: schedule workshops for team members to learn the new tool.
Monitor progress: regularly review project timelines and team feedback to adjust the strategy as needed.
Summary of a Good Strategy
This strategy example shows three important things: it clearly identifies the problem and its cause, sets a clear future goal, and lists specific actions with measurable results.
When we create a strategy this way, it helps keep the team motivated. This motivation leads to better team engagement, which is essential for high performance.
Consider these key elements when developing your strategy:
Focus on what matters: A good strategy picks the most important goals and makes sure everyone works together to achieve them.
Keep it simple: Even when dealing with complex situations, a good strategy should be easy to understand and follow.
Tackle problems head-on: A good strategy clearly identifies challenges and shows how to solve them.
Use your advantages: It makes the most of what you're good at to overcome any difficulties you face.
Titan Challenge: Take 30 minutes this week to write down your team’s main challenge, and sketch out a draft Diagnosis–Policy–Action plan. Let me know how it goes!
Just like in my previous article, I’ve got some extras for you!
🧠 Get the free Strategy Builder Worksheet: I’ve turned today’s framework into a simple template you can use with your team right away. Reply “strategy” in the comment section and I’ll send it to you directly!
🙋♂️ A Free Consultation: I’m offering 5 free 30-minute “Strategy Jam” sessions to help you work through a challenge using the Diagnosis–Policy–Action framework. Hit reply or drop a comment to claim one—first come, first served.