As we began writing this article, one broad question came to mind: What does innovation really mean in an organizational context? Many leaders say they do not consider themselves particularly creative, and what could be an exciting opportunity to innovate often ends up feeling like an uncomfortable challenge. Yet maintaining the status quo is no longer a sustainable option.

A few weeks ago, we attended a performance of Macbeth directed by Robert Lepage. It was remarkable to see Shakespeare's classic reimagined in a way that embraces today's realities. It made us wonder: if innovation is possible in the arts, why shouldn't it be just as natural in organizations? How can you innovate in your strategic planning process, distinguish your organization from its competitors, and inspire genuine commitment from your stakeholders?

Research consistently shows that the strongest strategies are built on differentiation, offering customers, members, or stakeholders something they truly value that competitors provide little or not at all.

Organizational Learning: A Fundamental Starting Point

How does your organization learn? Many organizations still view employees primarily as people who execute tasks rather than as individuals capable of learning, experimenting, and innovating to improve organizational performance. Yet it is difficult for people to learn through action if the organization does not actively encourage collective learning.

Why not involve your teams more deeply in your next strategic planning process? Their firsthand knowledge and day-to-day experience can become a powerful strategic asset. Because today's environment is constantly evolving, organizations must continue collaborating to discover new ways of working. That is why teamwork lies at the heart of organizational learning.[1]

Moving Beyond Routine: A More Innovative Vision for Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is often highly structured, following a process with little room for flexibility. Traditional strategic planning alone is no longer enough.

Organizations that thrive are those willing to embed innovation into the planning process itself. In other words, the way you develop your strategy must evolve. Too often, strategic planning follows the same familiar path: the same stakeholders, the same questions, and the same workshop formats.

One way to introduce innovation into your next strategic planning process is by experimenting with approaches such as design thinking.[2]

Design thinking is more than a methodology, it's a way of creating the conditions in which innovation can emerge naturally. It emphasizes collaboration, human-centered thinking, and collective intelligence. Open information sharing, curiosity, constructive feedback, teamwork, and continuous analysis are all essential elements of the approach.

Originally developed in the world of design before being adopted by business leaders, design thinking places empathy at the center of strategic reflection. Rather than beginning with financial projections and performance indicators, teams start by deeply engaging with stakeholders (clients, employees, and partners) to better understand their frustrations, aspirations, and unmet needs.

From there, an iterative process helps teams reframe challenges from a human perspective, generate bold ideas through collaborative workshops, and rapidly test potential solutions before committing significant resources. This cycle of continuous learning reduces risk while accelerating decision-making.

Traditional planning approaches, often linear, top-down, and process-driven, struggle to keep pace with today's complexity and rapid change. Conventional strategic plans are typically developed over long planning cycles, built around assumptions of certainty, control, and organizational silos.

Design thinking introduces a different mindset: one that embraces uncertainty and continuous adaptation. As Philippe Dancause explains, it is an "evolutionary rather than linear process," where the goal is to maintain an ongoing understanding of changing circumstances, adapt priorities as conditions evolve, and foster strategic dialogue at multiple levels of the organization.[3]

Design thinking does not replace the rigorous analysis that sound strategy requires. Rather, it complements it by making strategic planning more dynamic, adaptive, and responsive.

Questions to Consider

As you prepare for your next strategic planning process, ask yourself:

• How can I prepare differently for strategic planning?
• How can I better involve my teams and managers before the planning process begins?
• How can I prepare a communication strategy that fosters engagement throughout the process?
• Which new or different stakeholders should I include in my strategic planning discussions?

‍

Isabelle Gandilhon, Collaborator, and Viana Poulin, Senior Advisor

‍

References

[1] See the work of Amy Edmondson, including Christensen,K., A.C. Edmondson, “Thought Leader Interview: Amy Edmondson”, Havard Business Review, 2013, case study ROT193-PDF-ENG

[2] Disclaimer: The authors do not claim to be design thinking specialists.

[3] Dancause, P. Planification stratégique : sortir du mythe du plan parfait, Gestion Magazine, HEC Montréal, January 2026. Accessed February 15, 2026.

‍