The One-Page Strategic Plan (OPSP)
Get everyone on the same page by condensing your entire strategic and execution plan onto a single page.
The OPSP is a one-page tool organized around seven columns mapped to seven fundamental questions: Who, What, When, Where, How, Why, and Should/Shouldn't. These columns align with standard planning language — Core Values, Purpose, BHAG, Annual Priorities, Quarterly Priorities, KPIs, and Critical Numbers. The first three columns represent strategic thinking (supported by the 7 Strata of Strategy), and the last four columns represent execution planning. The top of the page tracks metrics monitoring the company's reputation (People) and productivity (Process). The bottom summarizes the SWT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, and Trends). Every team and individual should be able to see how their quarterly priorities connect to the company's overall plan, creating clear line of sight from individual effort to strategic vision.
- If you want everyone on the same page, you need that page first
- Seven basic questions — Who, What, When, Where, How, Why, Should/Shouldn't — anchor all strategic and execution planning
- Strategic thinking and execution planning are two distinct activities requiring different teams and processes
- Alignment, accountability, and focus are the three outputs of great planning
- Every employee needs a clear line of sight connecting their individual work to the company's strategic direction
- Define the Core (Values, Purpose, Competencies)Fill in the first column by articulating your Core Values (the handful of rules guiding all HR systems), your Purpose (the critical 'why' behind everything you do), and your Core Competencies. These rarely change and anchor the strategic side of the plan.Pro tipCore Values should guide hiring, feedback, rewards, recognition, and your employee handbook. If they do not actively drive decisions, they are just wall decorations.
- Set the BHAG and Long-Term TargetsDefine your 10- to 25-year Big Hairy Audacious Goal derived from Jim Collins' framework and your Profit per X economic driver. These establish the strategic destination that informs all shorter-term planning.
- Establish 3- to 5-Year TargetsSet medium-range targets that bridge the gap between your BHAG and the annual plan. Include revenue, profit, and market position goals that make the long-term vision feel achievable.
- Set Annual Priorities and the Critical NumberIdentify the annual Critical Number — the single most important measurable priority for the year. Add three to five supporting annual priorities (Rocks) that will drive progress toward the Critical Number.Pro tipReserve the term Critical Number for your single most important priority, even when other metrics feel nearly as important. Focus is the whole point.
- Set Quarterly Priorities and Individual KPIsBreak the annual plan into quarterly priorities — the bite-sized chunks the company can digest every 90 days. Each team and individual sets their own quarterly priorities and one to two KPIs that align with the company's Critical Number, creating clear line of sight.Pro tipInvolve middle management and frontline employees in quarterly planning. They are closer to operational issues, and their participation creates better buy-in.
- Add the SWT and Reputation/Productivity MetricsSummarize your Strengths, Weaknesses, and Trends along the bottom. Add People (reputation) and Process (productivity) metrics along the top. These provide the external and internal context that informs all the priorities on the page.
Harnish and Patrick Thean created the original version of the One-Page Strategic Plan as part of the Growth Tools suite. It became the best-known and most widely used tool in the Scaling Up methodology, adopted by tens of thousands of companies worldwide. The premise is simple: if you want everyone on the same page, you need that page first. The OPSP was updated extensively for Scaling Up with tighter integration to the 7 Strata of Strategy tool.