Tiny Strategy: Crafting a Clear, Flexible Plan with Six Questions

Balancing opportunity with strategy is one of the trickiest challenges in any organization. Opportunities are constantly presenting themselves—new markets, emerging trends, and unexpected partnerships. It’s easy to get pulled in multiple directions or distracted by the allure of potential growth. But too many initiatives, without a guiding strategy, dilute your impact and confuse your team.

What you need is a simple, flexible strategy—a “Tiny Strategy”—that’s loose enough to adapt to changes in the market but still clear enough to guide daily decisions. The goal is to create a strategic framework that keeps everyone aligned and empowers them to respond with confidence to the unexpected.

Tiny Strategy is based on asking the classic six questions—who, why, what, when, where, and how—but with a twist. You ask them twice: once looking outward at the playing field and once looking inward at your organization. Over the next week, I’ll dive into each of these questions in detail, but for now, here’s a brief overview to get you started.

Why: Understanding Your Mission

Outward: Why does this opportunity or market need you? Why is there a demand for what you offer?

Inward: Why does your organization exist? What mission drives you? This “why” is your North Star, your reason for being. Defining it helps everyone stay focused on what truly matters, giving clarity and cohesion to your actions.

Think of it as your mission statement. This isn’t just something to put on the website—it’s the foundation that aligns every decision you make. By having a clear “why,” you keep the team focused on making choices that fulfill your purpose and create value.

Who: Defining Key Players Inside and Out

Outward: Who is your target market? Who are you trying to serve, and what are their needs?

Inward: Who do you need within the organization to make this mission happen? What skills, expertise, and roles will support your goals?

Understanding the “who” in both contexts creates focus. By identifying your audience’s needs and the internal team members who can fulfill them, you’ll ensure your company stays attuned to both customer demand and team capability.

What: Clarifying the Value Exchange

Outward: What value do you provide to your market? What specific products, services, or solutions address their needs?

Inward: What value does the market bring back to you? This could mean revenue, brand loyalty, or even product feedback that helps you improve.

This question defines the core of what you offer and the return you expect. By articulating the mutual value exchange, you make it clear to everyone why this work is important and how it directly supports the mission.

When: Timing Your Actions for Maximum Impact

Outward: When is the optimal time to bring your offering to the market? Are there key trends, seasonal demands, or competitive dynamics that affect your timing?

Inward: When do you expand your team or resources to support growth? Is there an ideal time to scale?

Timing can be the difference between success and missed opportunity. Defining “when” ensures you’re ready to move when the market is ripe—and that your organization is prepared to support that move.

Where: Mapping Out Growth and Environment

Outward: Where will you grow your market? Will you expand geographically, or target new demographics? Where do you position your brand?

Inward: Where do your people work, and where do you focus resources? Will your team be in an office, remote, or hybrid? Does your structure support collaboration and innovation?

This question helps you chart a course for growth while keeping a close eye on where your people are most effective. Understanding the “where” ensures that your organization’s structure supports both the work and the work culture.

How: Executing the Mission and Building a Moat

Outward: How will you create offerings that are hard to copy and enhance your margins? How will you protect and grow the value you provide?

Inward: How will you create those offerings? Will you hire new talent, outsource, or partner with others to bring them to life?

This is where strategy becomes action. By defining how you’ll make and sustain offerings that serve your mission, you give your team a roadmap to execute. Understanding whether you’ll build internally, collaborate, or outsource gives everyone a clear idea of how you’ll meet your objectives.

The Tiny Strategy Advantage

Tiny Strategy is simple, clear, and versatile. Each of these questions builds on the other, creating a cohesive framework that can guide you as you adapt to opportunities and challenges. With Tiny Strategy, your team has enough structure to stay aligned and enough freedom to innovate as needed.

Start with these six questions, and you’ll find that a focused, actionable plan emerges naturally. By revisiting them regularly, you’ll keep your organization agile and responsive while staying true to your mission and goals. Over the next week, I’ll dive deeper into each question so you can start using Tiny Strategy to sharpen your approach, connect with your team, and make a greater impact. Stay tuned!