Your 2025 Plan to WIN

Most business owners don’t plan: fact!

Many hate planning for the same reason they hate meetings, seeing it as a waste of time – all talk and no action. 

They don’t recognise that their focus on long-term numbers without an action plan that factors in the day-to-day reality of running a business, is doomed to failure.

Therefore their plans never work.

Therefore they don’t believe in planning.

The truth is that long-term financial projections look impressive, but in way too many cases they’re just a stab in the dark. They don’t tell you what needs doing and by when, to achieve those big numbers.

So if your idea of planning is setting long-term financial goals on a spreadsheet – think again.

Planning isn’t really about the numbers – it’s about knowing where you want to get to – the big Vision you have for your business – and then plotting a route to get you there – a roadmap that’s actionable, adaptable, and focused on real progress.

Even McDonald’s learned this the hard way. 

Back in the early 90s, faced with mounting criticism, a plummeting share price, and customers leaving in droves, they were forced to think differently, to embrace a new strategy, to remember what had brought them success in the first place and build on that.

The outcome was their Plan to Win a new way of planning which not only reconnected them with their customers, but changed the trajectory of the business. 

A planning system that involves managers at every level and in every area of the business.  

A planning system that has kept them relevant, competitive and scalable ever since. 

A planning system that has delivered sustainable success.

So how can this help us?

The Plan to Win framework

McDonald’s game-changing planning system is built around five key areas: Price, Product, Promotion, People, and Place. It isn’t just a plan; it’s a roadmap for action, built around the 3-1-90 framework.

  1. Three-year vision
    Where do you want to be in three years? Clarity is key—whether it’s pricing strategies, new products, or employee engagement.
  2. One-year milestones
    Break your vision into measurable targets for the next 12 months.
  3. 90-day action plans
    Every 90 days, set specific, actionable priorities to stay adaptable and make progress.

How McDonald’s applied it:

  • Price: Focused on value for money to attract cost-conscious customers
  • Product: Simplified the menu, prioritising their most-loved items
  • Promotion: Campaigns emphasised food quality and nutrition
  • Place: Ensured the environment and situation of their stores was right for their customers
  • People: Prioritised employee engagement, becoming a major employer of young adults

The mindset shift: from hamster to meerkat

No system will save you if you’re stuck in the hamster trap. Always busy, nose to the wheel, spinning, but not actually getting anywhere. Sound familiar?

Maybe it’s time to change the meerkat mindset!

Meerkats pause, observe, and adapt. They’re proactive, not reactive. They are always looking for danger, or opportunity.

By regularly evaluating your progress and adjusting your strategies, you can stay aligned with your goals, avoid any challenges you see on the horizon, and seize any opportunities.

From planning to winning

Traditional planning fails because it lacks actionable steps and flexibility. By adopting the Plan to Win system – focusing on Price, Product, Promotion, People, and Place (or areas most relevant to you) you have a practical, scalable framework for success. Add in the meerkat mindset, and you’ll stay focused, agile, and ready for anything.

Planning isn’t just about setting goals—it’s about building the actionable roadmap to get you there. 

So, what will it be this year? Spinning on the hamster wheel or standing tall like a meerkat?

The choice is yours. Let’s Plan to Win.

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Author

Marianne Page

Marianne is the author of three books, and is currently working on her fourth, whilst regularly writing her blog, we hope you enjoy it :-)

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