Scaling a business in 2025 will require a strategic approach, mixing preparation, execution and follow-through. As leaders prepare for annual strategic planningsuccess depends on both clarity of vision and disciplined execution.

Drawing on three decades of experience helping companies scale, applying Rockefeller's 10 Habits has consistently brought improved growth, revenue and profitability to businesses that follow these principles.

To ensure your 2025 strategic planning session makes an impact, here are the essential components, key lessons from Scaling upand ordinary the mistakes to avoid.

Related: Employees are turning the tables – How entrepreneurs should change their annual employee evaluations

What is strategic planning and why is it important?

Strategic planning is often thought of as a single activity, but it should be seen as two distinct processes:

1. Strategic Thinking involves your senior management team and focuses on long-term strategic issues. The key is regular meetings—weekly, not just quarterly or annually—so leaders can focus on big-picture challenges without getting bogged down in day-to-day operations.
2. Execution Planning: Once the strategy is defined, a larger team engages in execution planning. This process includes setting annual and quarterly priorities, creation of KPIs and aligning resources to achieve goals.

Together, these two components form the Think, Plan, Act, Learn cycle, which fosters organizational clarity and focus.

Establishing a communication rhythm to support strategic planning

Communication rates are essential to ensure that information flows accurately and efficiently. Setting a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly rhythm is one of the most powerful ways to engage your entire organization in executing the plan.

Here's how these rhythms can support your strategic planning:

• Daily Huddle: A short 5-15 minute meeting involving all employees to track progress and address immediate challenges.
• Weekly meeting: A 60-90 minute session to review progress on quarterly priorities and address one or two strategic issues.
• Monthly Management Meeting: A half-day or full-day session with executives to learn and resolve important issues.
• Quarterly and Annual Planning Meetings: These offsite meetings, involving executives and middle managers, should focus on four decisions: People, Strategy, Execution, and Money.

By maintaining these rhythms, you ensure alignment and clarity across the organizationenabling faster decision-making and smoother strategy execution.

Related: 3 reasons why you need a team-powered company to scale your business

How to effectively lead your strategic planning meetings

Consistency is key to the productivity of strategic planning sessions. Annual sessions usually last two to three days, while quarterly sessions last one to two days. Here is a summary of the agenda:

1. The first third of the meeting:
   • Review the SWOT analysis and update its first three columns One Page Strategic Plan (OPSP)focusing on big, hairy, bold purpose (BHAG) and core values.
2. Second third:
   • Examine your company's financials to assess cash flow. Set specific priorities for the coming year.
3. Last third:
   • Focus on process improvement strategies. Choose a process to redesign and improve for the quarter. Review Rockefeller's checklist of habits and pick one or two habits to improve.

Mistakes to avoid during strategic planning

While the structure of your planning session is essential, avoidance common pitfalls is the key to its success. A mistake is neglecting employee and customer feedback. Planning in a vacuum limits effectiveness, so it's essential to survey employees and customers beforehand to gather insights on what to start, stop and keep doing. Incorporating their input creates a more grounded and actionable plan, keeping your team highly engaged as they implement their ideas.

Another pitfall is moving into an operational review too early. Diving into the details of past performance early on can cause the meeting to become mired in detail, distracting from the broader strategic vision. Furthermore, a lack of consistent communication can undermine even the best laid plans. Establish a clear communication cadence with daily huddles, weekly meetings and monthly reviews to ensure smooth alignment and execution.

Related: Why scaling too fast can sink your startup

Strategic planning in action: A case study

Take the example of Jack Harrington, former CEO of Virtual Technology Corporation, who grew his company dramatically after it was acquired by Raytheon. Harrington implemented the Rockefeller Habits, incl daily collections and quarterly planning sessions, which improved alignment, strategic thinking and collaboration. As a result, his company seamlessly transitioned into a $750 million division within Raytheon, with increased clarity and execution across the team.

Running a strategic planning session isn't just about the meeting itself—it's about the discipline, pace, and focus you put in throughout the year. As we look ahead to 2025, it's crucial to understand that scaling a business takes more than ambition. It requires structured processes, robust systems and constant iteration to ensure alignment and execution.

The Think, Plan, Act, Learn cycle is the essence of successful strategic planning. Balances long-term vision and short-term execution. This cycle fosters an environment where strategic decisions are not only discussed, but also continually reviewed and refined, ensuring that the organization remains adaptable and aligned.

Establishing communication rhythms, such as daily huddles and weekly, monthly, and quarterly meetings, is essential in reinforcing this alignment. These practices drive real-time problem solving and ensure that everyone—from the executive team to front-line employees—stays focused on the company's most important goals. These daily interactions maintain clarity, accountability and momentum throughout the year.