How SD Works
A simple, research-informed way to help people think, decide, and act together in complex situations—without slowing down.
Most strategy and collaboration frameworks were designed for a world that moved more slowly than the one we live in today. They assume clear problems, predictable timelines, stable teams, and tidy hierarchies. Strategic Doing takes a very different view. It starts with the reality you’re actually in — complexity, uncertainty, limited resources, and diverse people who need to work together without slowing down.
Strategic Doing works because it transforms that complexity into a simple, repeatable process that people can use immediately. It gives groups a way to think, decide, and act together through ten skills anchored in research, reflective practice, and the psychology of how humans collaborate.
The ten skills of Strategic Doing The practical habits that help groups collaborate, decide, and take action together.
Strategic Doing is built on ten simple, learnable skills.
These skills include the ability to give groups a shared language and rhythm for working together in complex environments.
They replace long planning cycles with short, focused conversations that turn ideas into action.
Each skill is a behaviour — not a tool. And anyone can learn them.
The Ten Skills (expanded, clear, and plain English)
- Create safe spaces
Start every session by making people feel comfortable to speak honestly, contribute ideas, and explore possibilities.
- Frame an appreciative question
Shift the conversation from “what’s wrong” to “what could we do?”
A good appreciative question opens possibility and keeps the group focused.
- Identify assets
Assets include skills, relationships, lived experience, networks, resources, and knowledge.
Strategic Doing reveals what people can contribute, not what they lack.
- Link & leverage assets
Combine assets to create new opportunities.
Ask: “What could we do together that we can’t do alone?”
- Guide equitable ranking & choosing
Sort the opportunities by 1) impact and 2) ease.
Choose the “Big Easy” — The most doable, promising option - high impact low risk
- Define clear outcomes
Turn opportunity into direction by defining what success will look like in a specific timeframe.
- Design Pathfinder Projects
A Pathfinder is a small experiment that tests your outcome and reveals what works (and what doesn’t). Achievable test project contributing to the agreed goal.
- Commit to small steps
Each person chooses one action they can complete within 30 days.
- Hold 30/30 Meetings
Meet every 30 days to review progress, adjust, and take the next steps.
- Nudge the network
Reinforce collaboration with small prompts — check-ins, introductions, updates, or sharing useful information.
Guide to 30/30 meetings The learning rhythm at the heart of Strategic Doing.
A 30/30 meeting is a short, structured check-in that happens every 30 days.
It’s where the real learning in Strategic Doing happens.
The purpose?
To reflect on what’s been learned, adjust the plan, and commit to the next small steps.
No long reports.
No PowerPoints.
Just honest reflection, learning, and action.
The 30/30 structure
- What did we learn from the last 30 days?
Focus on insights — not perfection.
Small wins matter.
So do unexpected barriers.
- What adjustments do we need to make?
Decide whether to continue, shift, or pause the Pathfinder Project.
Learning drives the next step.
- What are the next small steps?
Every participant chooses one action they can deliver before the next 30/30. - Who else needs to be involved or informed?
Networks strengthen through small nudges and new connections.
Facilitator prompts
- “What surprised us this month?”
- “What worked better than expected?”
- “What barriers did we hit?”
- “What can we test next?”
- “Who should we connect with?”
Why 30/30 works
- keeps momentum steady
- reduces complexity into manageable chunks
- strengthens trust
- supports rapid learning
- enables adjustment without friction
- prevents drift into long-range planning
Designing pathfinder projects Small experiments that reveal the best way forward.
A Pathfinder Project is the engine that powers Strategic Doing.
It is a small, low-risk experiment designed to test an idea, reveal insights, and build momentum.
Pathfinders make big challenges manageable — and collaborative.
What makes a good pathfinder
- It’s small
Something you can start now with what you have.
- It’s fast
Most Pathfinders run for 30–90 days.
- It’s testable
You can clearly see whether it’s moving in the right direction.
- It’s collaborative
Multiple people or organisations bring assets to make it work.
- It’s meaningful
It connects directly to the shared outcome.
Design steps
- Define the outcome
What change do you want to see in 30–90 days?
- Identify the experiment
What can you try that would teach you the most?
- Set your guideposts
Small signals that show you’re on track.
- Allocate assets
Who brings what?
Where are the strengths?
- Plan small steps
Everyone leaves the room with one action.
Facilitator prompts
- “What can we test together in the next 30 days?”
- “What would success look like?”
- “What assets can we combine to try this?”
- “What signals will tell us it’s working?”
Linking & leveraging assets How to turn individual strengths into collaborative opportunities.
Strategic Doing starts with identifying assets — the skills, relationships, experience, and resources people bring.
But the real magic happens when those assets are linked and leveraged to create opportunities that no one person or organisation could create alone.
Types of assets
- skills and expertise
- lived experience
- relationships and networks
- tools and technology
- funding or access to funding
- data or knowledge
- organisational resources
- passion and motivation
How to link assets
- Identify individual assets
Use open-ended questions.
Make assets visible to the group.
- Look for patterns
What assets seem related?
What themes are emerging?
- Combine assets intentionally
Ask:
- “What could we do if we combined these two assets?”
- “Whose strengths complement each other?”
- Spot opportunities
When assets link naturally, opportunity appears.
Facilitator prompts
- “Who else could contribute to this idea?”
- “What connections haven’t we explored yet?”
- “If we paired these two strengths, what becomes possible?”
Creating safe conversation spaces The foundation of trust, openness, and collaboration.
People collaborate best when they feel safe — emotionally, culturally, and socially.
Strategic Doing begins by intentionally creating a “safe space” for focused, respectful conversation.
This sets the tone for everything that follows.
What makes a conversation space safe
- Psychological safety
People feel they can speak without fear of judgement. - Respectful behaviour
Everyone’s perspective matters. - Shared norms
Short contributions. Listening first. Curiosity. - Inclusive design
The environment supports participation from all voices. - Clarity of purpose
People know why they are here and what they’re trying to achieve.
How to create a safe space
- begin with a warm welcome
- set expectations clearly
- explain how the process works
- invite all voices early
- maintain gentle boundaries
- manage power dynamics openly
- model humility and curiosity
Useful facilitator scripts
- “Every voice in this room matters.”
- “Let’s keep contributions short so everyone can speak.”
- “This is a space for exploring possibility, not defending positions.”
- “We’re here to learn together.”
Opportunity ranking & choosing – the big easy Helping groups find the “Big Easy” — the opportunity that’s meaningful and doable.
Once a group has identified multiple opportunities, the next step is to choose the one with the best balance of impact and ease.
Strategic Doing uses a simple, transparent ranking process to help groups do this without getting stuck in analysis.
How ranking works
- Rate impact
High impact = moves the needle.
Low impact = marginal gains.
- Rate ease
How doable is it with the assets we currently have?
- Plot the opportunities
Use a simple 2×2:
- high impact / easy
- high impact / hard
- low impact / easy
- low impact / hard
- Choose the “Big Easy”
The top-right quadrant: high impact + easy enough to start now.
Why it works
- keeps the conversation practical
- reduces conflict
- allows quick decision-making
- gets people moving rather than debating
- supports strategic intuition
- keeps choices grounded in assets, not wishlists
Prompts to guide choosing
- “Which opportunity feels most achievable in the next 30–60 days?”
- “Where is there the most energy?”
- “Which option teaches us the most with the least effort?”
