Strategic planning is one of those things associations do because it’s expected. Boards ask for it. Members want reassurance that there’s a plan. Executive teams know it’s coming, even if they quietly brace themselves for the workload it creates.

I’ve been in this world long enough—on the staff side, in executive roles, and in boardrooms—to see the same pattern repeat itself. A strategic planning process kicks off with good intentions—deep dives, brainstorming, even a retreat. A document gets approved. And then, slowly, the momentum fades.

What’s striking isn’t that associations struggle to plan. It’s that so many plans never truly come to life. That beautiful, bounded document crafted with so much heart and intent gets put on a shelf to collect dust.

Sometimes this happens immediately. Other times, it happens at the first roadblock to implementation.

I can’t count how many times I’ve sat in a board meeting where a strategic initiative is raised, discussed with enthusiasm, and ultimately assigned to the executive office with some version of “Let’s move this forward.” On paper, that sounds reasonable. In practice, it often isn’t.

More than once, I’ve walked out of those meetings with the CEO or executive director where I immediately stated,“Why did you agree to that? We actually can’t do that.” The answer is usually a knowing smile, followed by “You’re right. We can’t. And honestly, they’ll forget about it.”

That’s not cynicism. It’s realism born from experience.

The Research and Numbers

As they say, you don’t have to take my word for it. Here are the numbers consistently reported in the association world and beyond:

• McKinley Advisors estimates that 67 to 90 percent of strategic plans fail due to execution breakdowns.
• The NonProfit Times reports that most nonprofit strategic plans fail to achieve their stated goals.
• ClearPoint Strategy found that only 15 to 20 percent of strategic initiatives are completed, with nonprofit initiatives among the least likely to reach completion.

This challenge is not unique to associations. In the private sector, studies from Bain & Company and Harvard Business Review show that 60 to 90 percent of strategic initiatives fail to fully deliver on their intent—nearly identical to the outcomes seen in associations and nonprofits.

When Planning Becomes a Ritual

Over time, strategic planning in many associations has shifted from a tool for decision making and long-term planning into a check-the-box exercise. It’s what responsible governance looks like. It signals seriousness. It reassures stakeholders that the organization is thinking long-term. Every five years, it’s time for our five-year strategic plan.

Despite doing all the right things, the resulting document never gets executed at all or execution stalls, and this plan ends up on the shelf. Not because staff don’t care or leadership lacks commitment, but because the organization was never positioned to execute on what was approved.

The problem isn’t the intent behind strategic planning. It’s that planning frequently happens without an honest look at the conditions required to carry it out.

In reviewing best practices and the frameworks of many in this industry, strategic planning often follows very similar patterns. Self-run SWOT analysis, mission/vision review, stakeholder involvement, and aspirational exercises about where we want to go. Sounds great, but something is missing.

What’s Missing From the Conversation

What’s missing is objectivity. Here’s the thing: Strategic plans aren’t focused on where the organization is TODAY. Google Maps cannot give you proper directions without FIRST pinpointing where you are. And that’s what association strategic planning is missing.

Rarely do associations pause to ask whether leadership is truly aligned on how decisions get made once the plan is approved, whether the organization’s culture supports change, or whether the organization has the operational strength to pull it off.

Without knowing and understanding these areas, strategy becomes aspirational instead of operational. A strategic plan that highlights where the organization wants to go but lacks the operations to get there is pointless.

Board Alignment Isn’t the Same as Readiness

One of the most common disconnects I see is the assumption that board alignment equals organizational readiness. A board approving a unified set of goals does not mean it has brought the team along with it. Often, staff are left trying to reconcile those goals against limited capacity, unclear priorities, and day-to-day operational realities.

In associations, where governance and management have intentionally distinct roles, this gap can be especially wide. Boards set the direction and vision, while the executive office (led by the chief staff executive) is there to execute. The real issue isn’t structure, it’s a breakdown in how those roles alignment.

More importantly, it is a cultural issue between the board and executive leadership. Is the organization being run in a way that allows for the open, honest exchange of ideas? Organizations miss the chance for real change when a chief staff executive cannot ensure plans are grounded in reality and operational feasibility.

When that happens, strategy doesn’t fail loudly. It simply stalls.

A Different Way Forward

In my operational experience, meaningful growth and change require trusting a broader process—one that doesn’t rush straight to planning.

Real strategy starts with diagnosis. It requires boards and executives alike to take an honest look at alignment, decision-making, operations, and culture before committing to new priorities and directions. Planning should follow that reality, not ignore it. The ability to execute has to play a role rather than be an assumption.

When associations slow down long enough to understand their foundation and operational capacity, strategy stops being proforma and starts becoming practical. Once alignment, operations, and culture are synced, the organization will see natural, sustainable growth, giving the board new metrics to make sound, forward-looking decisions. That’s when plans move off the shelf—and begin to matter.