Strategy
Strategy work holds up when your customers' perspective is part of it from the start.
Strategy is usually written from the management team’s perspective. Before we start writing, we also listen to your customers and employees, so that the choices you make match what customers are actually willing to pay for. If the strategy is already done, we help put it into practice.
- You’ll know which few choices drive growth and which ones you can let go of.
- You’ll see how the strategy shows up in every team’s goals and in the work they do each week.
Does this sound familiar?
The strategy has been written, but everyday work hasn't changed yet.
The strategy day goes well. The slides look good, and everyone agrees. Six months later, few people remember what the three most important choices were.
Strategies are rarely forgotten because they’re bad. More often, it’s because they were made by just a handful of people.
of managers and supervisors executing strategy were able to name their company's three strategic priorities.
Source: MIT Sloan Management Review, study of 124 organizations- The strategy has been written down, but it exists separately from everyday work.
- There are several product groups or service areas to choose from, and it’s not clear where to focus.
- The strategy needs to be brought down to the monthly, weekly, and team level.
- Customer and employee input is gathered in surveys, but it doesn’t factor into the actual choices.
- Key initiatives and the budget move on different timelines.
Kun asiakkaiden ja henkilöstön näkemys on mukana ennen kirjoittamista, valinnat osuvat oikeaan ja tiimi tunnistaa strategian omakseen.
What is strategy work?
A good strategy fits on a single slide and lives in everyday work.
Strategy work means deciding which customers and offerings your company will invest in, what it will let go of, and how those choices show up in each team’s work. A strategy also defines how success will be measured.
Strategy execution is the other half of the work: choices become goals, metrics, and responsibilities that are tracked in everyday operations.
A strategy isn’t a separate project. Its most important job is to become part of everyday work. That’s why we talk to customers and employees before we start writing.
We choose a strategy model based on your company’s life-cycle stage, market, and size, because not every model suits every company. When choices are based on what customers are actually willing to pay for, the team recognizes the strategy as its own.
We choose a model that fits your company
We go through your goals, current strategy, and company stage with leadership. We choose a strategy model that fits your company's life cycle, market, and size.
Customers and employees tell us what works
We interview selected customers and talk with your employees. They tell us what they value, what's missing, and where the company has room to grow.
The strategy fits on a single slide
In workshops, leadership and the team make choices based on the findings. The vision, goals, choices, and actions are brought together on a single slide. An owner is assigned to each choice.
The strategy lives in everyday work
Choices become goals and metrics for each team. A regular follow-up rhythm and strategy-linked development discussions keep the strategy in active use. We stay involved until the change is visible in everyday work.
We use models and tools that we’ve tested with our clients. One of them is the GOST model, which links vision, strategic goals, choices, actions, and metrics together on a single slide.
We often start with a strategy current-state assessment. You’ll find out what’s working in your current strategy and where it makes sense to continue from.
Strategy services
We start from wherever your strategy work stands right now.
Clarifying, updating, and building engagement around a strategy are all different situations. We choose the right services based on where you currently stand. We tailor the work to your company’s size and situation.
Strategy current-state assessment
We assess whether your current strategy still holds up in the eyes of your customers and the market. We talk to leadership, employees, and selected customers, and compare their answers against the strategy's choices.
- Owner and board objectives
- Interviews with leadership and employees
- Interviews with selected customers
- Strategy choices measured against customer perspective
- Development areas in order of priority
- Tailored to your company's size and situation
Strategy work
The strategy is built in strategy workshops based on what customers, employees, and leadership tell us. The model is chosen according to your company's stage, market, and size. The whole team gets involved, so the strategy is shared rather than dictated from above.
- Input from customers, employees, and leadership before the workshops
- A strategy model matched to your company's stage, market, and size
- Strategy workshops with leadership and the team
- Vision, goals, choices, and metrics on a single slide
- Owners and a timeline for each choice
- Workshops starting from half a day
- Tailored to your company's size and situation
Strategy update
We update your current strategy to reflect what's happening in the market now. We check with customers whether the choices still hold up. We supplement the strategy with business-specific goals.
- A review of the current strategy, model, and results
- Customer perspective on the changed market
- Updated choices and priorities
- Business-specific goals for the coming months
- Workshops starting from half a day
- Tailored to your company's size and situation
Strategy execution, goals, and metrics
A strategy isn't a separate project — it's part of everyday work. It becomes goals and metrics for every team, tracked in daily operations. Key initiatives are linked to the budget and broken down into monthly and weekly tasks.
- Team-specific goals and metrics
- Key initiatives prioritized by impact and feasibility
- Responsibilities, budget, and communication of the strategy to staff
- A follow-up rhythm and strategy-linked development discussions
- Workshops starting from half a day
- Tailored to your company's size and situation
M&A integration
Turning two companies into one functioning whole, in customers' eyes as well. We talk to customers and employees from both companies, so that a shared direction and way of working are built on what already works in each.
- Input from customers and employees of both companies
- A shared direction, value proposition, and offering
- Operating models, responsibilities, and a management rhythm
- Customer communication during the transition
- Workshops starting from half a day
- Tailored to your company's size and situation
These services work on their own or together. You can continue step by step as your strategy progresses.
What our customers say
Our customers describe what the collaboration led to.
An NPS of 100 shows that our customers recommend us. Numbers don’t tell you why, so we let the customer tell you themselves.
NPS 100 · Our customers recommend usTrustmary customer survey 2026
+28%Average sales growth among our clientsSource: Voitto’s project analysis 2023-2026
+15Average NPS growth among our clients, pointsSource: Voitto’s project analysis 2023-2026
"One of the biggest benefits of working together was getting the whole staff involved in the process. This wasn't just a leadership project — everyone had the chance to take part and have a say. It built commitment and made it easier to put the changes into practice."
Arto SaksolaTrimedia
Try it yourself
Three team members, three customers, and one question.
If you'd like to try it yourself, ask three of your team members what they think the three most important choices in your strategy are. Then ask three customers why they choose you specifically. If the answers differ from each other or from your strategy, that's worth discussing.
Frequently asked questions
What do people ask us about strategy?
What does strategy work mean in practice?
A company decides which customers and offerings to invest in and what to let go of. Those choices become goals, metrics, and responsibilities that are tracked in everyday work.
What's the difference between clarifying a strategy and updating one?
Clarifying sharpens the direction when there are too many choices or they're unclear. Updating reviews an existing strategy when the market or customer needs have changed.
How is a strategy put into practice?
Each team is given goals and metrics derived from the strategy. Key initiatives are linked to the budget, and development discussions are tied to the strategy. Progress is tracked weekly, monthly, and quarterly.
Which strategy model fits us?
That depends on your company's life-cycle stage, market, and size. Not every model suits every company. We choose the model together with you before the workshops, and we use models we've tested with our own clients.
Why does the strategy need to fit on a single slide?
When the vision, goals, choices, and metrics fit on a single slide, the strategy is easy to present and track. Every team can see how their own work connects to the bigger picture.
Why are customers interviewed during strategy work?
Customers tell you what they're willing to pay for and what they expect going forward. When this is known before choices are made, the strategy is based on evidence rather than assumptions.
Who participates in the strategy work?
Leadership, employees, and selected customers. The objectives of the owners and the board are the starting point for the strategy. Employee participation creates commitment, which helps put changes into practice.
Does the work include market, competitor, or financial analysis?
If necessary. If the choices require a market, competitor, or financial analysis, we perform it as part of the work.
How long does the strategy work take?
Workshops start from half a day in length. The duration of the entire project depends on your company's size and whether the strategy is built from scratch or an existing one is updated. We agree on the scope with you before starting.
Who does the work?
The founders do the work themselves. The same person conducts the interviews, leads the workshops, and stays involved when the strategy is put into practice.
Authors
Who you'll meet when you get in touch.
Tomi Tapper
eMBA · Aiemmin toimitusjohtaja, Kiva
Taustaa: Dustin Group, Fox Racing, Arwidson
+358 400 797 300
tomi.tapper@voittogroup.com
Mikko Fransila
BSc · Aiemmin johtaja, PwC
Taustaa: Deloitte, EY, Nokia
+358 50 567 6088
mikko.fransila@voittogroup.com
Markku Larkio
MSc · Aiemmin toimitusjohtaja, Chilitaito
Taustaa: Lidl, Microsoft, FootBalance
+358 50 409 4142
markku.larkio@voittogroup.com
Contact us
What's currently on the table in your strategy?
A few sentences in your own words is enough. We’ll respond within one business day and tell you directly if we can help and where we would start. If the matter can be handled without us, we’ll tell you that too.
Would you rather talk?
A 45-minute conversation with one of us can also be booked directly from the calendar.
45 min · Teams or Google Meet · No sales pitch
Or by email: hello@voittogroup.com