3 Questions That Make Strategy Meetings Actually Productive

We have all been there "Those strategy meetings are a waste of time."

I've certainly sat in my fair share over 25 years.

Most follow the same pattern:
→ Review what happened last month/quarter
→ Discuss various issues and challenges
→ Agree to 'work on' several things or not some times
→ Leave feeling busy but not clear
→ Repeat next month

Nothing actually changes though.

Here's what I suggest to do differently. Cut through the noise with just three questions:

1. "What did we say we'd accomplish this month/quarter, and did we?"

Not "what did we work on" or "what kept us busy." What did we actually ACCOMPLISH?

Most leadership teams can't answer this clearly because they never defined it clearly in the first place. If you don't know what done looks like, how do you know if you're making progress?

2. "If we could only fix ONE thing in the next 30 days, what would have the biggest impact?"

This question forces prioritisation. Not "what should we work on" (everything). But what single thing would move the needle most?

The answer reveals whether your team actually understands what drives your business. If everyone gives different answers, you don't have alignment. If no one can answer, you don't have clarity.

3. "What are we spending time or money on that we should stop?"

This is the question no one wants to ask. But it's often the most valuable.
Every business has initiatives that made sense once but don't anymore. Marketing spend that doesn't work. Processes that waste time. Meetings that accomplish nothing. Products that lose money.

Stopping the wrong things creates capacity to do the right things. But you have to be willing to say "stop."

That's it. Three questions.

But here's what happens when you actually answer them honestly:
→ You get clarity on whether you're progressing or just busy
→ You identify the ONE thing that actually matters right now
→ You free up resources by cutting what doesn't work

Last week, I asked these questions with a leadership team. Within 30 minutes, they realised they'd completed 2 of 8 goals (not 6 like they thought). They identified their bottleneck wasn't sales, it was fulfilment capacity. They found £4k/month in spending they could immediately cut.

That's 30 minutes. Three questions. Real clarity.

Try this before your next strategy meeting. Write down the answers. See what you discover.

Sometimes the best investment isn't another strategy session. It's someone who'll ask the right questions and help you actually act on the answers.

www.hopkinsadvisory.co.uk

#Leadership #StrategicPlanning #BusinessStrategy #Execution