Strategy Development

I help leadership teams shape strategy they can actually execute—grounded in reality, aligned across roles, and designed to move the mission forward.

When You Need More Than a Plan—You Need a Strategy That Works

There’s a difference between having a strategic plan and having strategy. The first is a document. The second is a set of choices, priorities, and commitments that guide what people actually do.

I help executive teams move beyond surface-level planning into real strategy development—where clarity, alignment, and follow-through become the norm, not the exception.

Why Work With a Strategy Development Partner?

When you're too close to the work or moving too fast, it's hard to zoom out and make smart, shared decisions about direction. That’s where I come in.

I bring structure, perspective, and facilitation that helps teams define where they’re going, what it will take to get there, and how to hold focus when everything feels urgent.

I’ve developed strategy with:

  • Nonprofits facing growth, reinvention, or new leadership

  • Executive teams launching or revisiting multi-year plans

  • Mission-driven orgs aligning vision with structure and budget

  • Coalitions or associations with multiple stakeholders and priorities

  • “Members of my Board of Directors are telling me that the planning retreat Shane and his team designed and facilitated for was truly a wonderful experience and the most productive RBFF gathering they have ever been to. I couldn’t agree more.”

    — Dave Chanda, President & CEO, Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation

  • “Investing in continuous learning and up-skilling is critical for personal and organizational growth. I’ve been a CEO for many years, yet since I invested in working with Shane, I find myself scaling my own value to my business. Our executive team will climb higher mountains thanks to subtle but crucial calibrations resulting from working with Shane.”

    — Virgil Bretz, CEO, MacroHealth

  • “Shane’s approach to facilitation is thorough, and his style is energetic. He can keep a tough group of busy, hard-charging people moving and really drive to consensus. He is excellent.”

    — Faryar Shirzad, Chief Policy Officer, Coinbase

What Strategy Development With Me Looks Like

Strategy development isn’t one-size-fits-all. I tailor the process to your moment, capacity, and culture.

Typically it includes:

  1. Discovery & Input
    I gather insights from your leaders, key voices, and data—without drowning in process.

  2. Strategic Framing
    Together we define what success looks like, clarify your decision criteria, and name the key strategic questions.

  3. Facilitated Work Sessions
    I lead your team through focused strategy design sessions—building direction, not just decks.

  4. Synthesis and Next Steps
    I help capture your strategy into a usable format and advise on how to translate it into execution.

Real Strategy, Not Just a Binder

My approach helps leadership teams make meaningful choices, surface hidden misalignments, and build strategies that live in how the team actually works—not just in PowerPoint.

You’ll leave with clarity on what you’re doing, why it matters, and how to keep people focused as the work begins.

Here’s how I help.

  • Executive Coaching

    For C-suites and senior managers

    Unlock new mindsets and methods to inspire teams, equip them to lead change, and actually hold them accountable for results.

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  • Management Consulting

    For nonprofit leadership teams

    Devise and lead change in response to intractable organizational challenges, aligning strategy and function for mission delivery.

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  • Board Consulting

    For nonprofit boards of directors

    Sharpen focus on those activities and areas that deliver the absolute highest value to management of the organization you govern and serve.

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  • Planning Facilitation

    For boards, coalitions, and more

    Have structured, disciplined conversations about where your organization needs to go, how it will get there, and what measurable outcomes it will achieve.

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  • Strategic Communications

    For senior teams that need to break through

    Craft and deliver messages and narratives to favorably influence staffs, policymakers, and other stakeholders, in change-leadership scenarios and far beyond.

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  • Fractional Executive

    For short-term leadership needs

    Occasional interim or fractional executive leadership for organizations that need someone to engage easily, learn quickly, and bring a facilitative-leadership touch.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is strategy development exactly?
    It’s the process of clarifying direction, priorities, and structure so your team can move forward with focus and purpose.

  • Who do you develop strategy with?
    Executive teams, nonprofit leaders, boards, and coalitions facing moments of change, growth, or re-alignment.

  • Do you only work with nonprofits?
    No—I work with both nonprofit and private-sector leadership teams.

  • How is this different from strategic planning?
    Strategy development goes deeper—it’s about decisions and tradeoffs, not just timelines and goals.

  • Can you help translate strategy into execution?
    Yes—I often help clients connect strategy to structure, budget, and leadership rhythm.

  • Do you work with teams or just the CEO?
    Both—most strategy engagements involve a core leadership group with input from key stakeholders.