By Darren Lunz | November 11, 2025
Strategy has always been essential in business, but in today’s world, the way we approach it needs to change.
Whether you’re running a charity, building a startup, managing an SME, or leading a listed company, the goal is the same: define where you’re going, build the roadmap to get there, and create the ability to shift direction when needed. The difference today is the pace and unpredictability of change. Markets move quickly, technologies evolve overnight, and plans that looked solid on paper six months ago may now need a rethink.
That’s where strategic agility comes in. Strategy needs to be both measurable and flexible. It’s not about throwing the plan out when things go wrong. It’s about setting clear, measurable goals while building in the ability to adapt when reality shifts.
At Malander Advisory, we work with businesses of all sizes – NGO’s to startups to listed businesses – to help set up strategic finance functions, define SMART goals, and build KPI dashboards that keep strategy tied to reality, while also allowing room for agility when things change.
Set a clear direction – but keep your hands on the wheel
A strong strategy should give the business clarity: where we’re going, how we’ll measure success, and who’s responsible for what.
One of the best ways to structure that thinking is through SMART goals – making sure objectives are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. It sounds simple, but it’s amazing how often businesses skip this step, especially when things are moving quickly.
We work with many growing businesses that start with broad ambitions – like “increase revenue” or “expand internationally” – but haven’t translated those ambitions into something they can track or manage day to day. That’s where we help shape the plan into something real: financial targets, timelines, capabilities needed, and what it’ll take to get there.
From there, it’s about setting up the systems – from finance dashboards to regular review cycles which help track how things are progressing (or not).
Measure what matters – and know when to adjust
No one gets their strategy right the first time, and that’s okay.
What matters is having the visibility to know when something’s not working, and the agility to shift course without throwing everything out. That’s why tracking progress – through KPIs that are tied to your actual strategic goals – is so important.
For example, if you’re targeting growth in a specific market, it’s not enough to look at monthly revenue. You need to be monitoring the financial (cash flow, client acquisition costs) and the non-financial (delivery capacity, regulatory risks) in that market. Without that visibility, small problems can turn into big ones before anyone notices.
We help clients build the right reporting structures – not just for finance teams, but for the business. That includes real-time dashboards, finance reviews that focus on insight rather than just numbers, and performance conversations that tie directly back to the plan.
Make sure everyone’s part of the journey
Strategy only works if the whole business is aligned around it. That means it can’t just live in the boardroom or as a PowerPoint deck shared once a year.
From finance and operations to sales and marketing, everyone should understand what the business is aiming for – and how their work connects to those goals. And when things change, the communication around why and what it means needs to be just as clear.
We’ve worked with everything from listed companies managing global finance functions, to charities figuring out how to stretch limited resources. In every case, clarity and communication are what turn a strategy into action.
That’s also why finance plays such a critical role. Whether you’ve got an internal team, a fractional CFO, or an outsourced finance function – they need to be plugged into the strategic picture, not just closing the books at month-end.
Build for change, not perfection
No business environment stays still. Plans will evolve, goals will shift, and new challenges will emerge – it’s normal. The key is accepting that, shifting to a proactive mindset and making agility part of the plan. That means building in regular review points, empowering teams to raise concerns or suggest changes, and giving yourself room to adjust tactics without losing sight of the overall direction.
Sometimes, it also means bringing in extra support – whether that’s an interim finance professional to lead a key project, or a fractional CFO to help translate the numbers into strategic decisions. That flexibility can make a huge difference when timing matters.
Looking ahead
2026 is just around the corner. If there’s one thing the past few years have shown us, it’s that businesses need to be both grounded and adaptable.
At Malander Advisory, we help businesses create strategies not just on paper, but in practice. Whether you’re scaling up, navigating uncertainty, or just trying to work smarter with what you have, we bring the finance support, structure, and insight to help you plan with purpose – and adjust with confidence.
No matter what kind of business you run, moving forward with clarity is what turns ideas into execution.