Create Systems, Not Plans
How to Design for Alignment, Integration, Outcomes, and Forever Community
Summary
I love strategy. I practice it in my consulting work and in my daily life. I love it because it is hard and involves cross-boundary collaboration. I love it because it’s the ultimate exercise in making focused, impactful choices. I love it because (properly designed) the hard work pays off in game-changing outcomes. Great strategy is rare, but the dig-deep investment is always worth the time and resources.
Over time, my perspective on strategy has changed. I used to think that the outcome of a strategy was an operational plan. While this is still important for lots of organizations, I now think of strategy as system design. Systems design is a way of understanding and solving complex problems by considering all the interconnected parts, rather than just the sum of those parts. While we still need plans, great systems will transform these plans and the outcomes we desire.
I lead the product community, a product development learning community designed specifically for associations. Let’s compare ideas and build something great.
The Importance of System Design
“So, what is a system? A system is a set of things—people, cells, molecules, or whatever—interconnected in such a way that they produce their own pattern of behavior over time.”
Donella H. Meadows
Thinking in Systems: A Primer
I often use Roger Martin’s Playing to Win strategy framework in my consulting work. It asks us to make choices: on our winning aspiration, where we’ll play, how we’ll win, what capabilities we’ll need, and the systems we need to design to help the strategy come true durably and with impact. In this context, systems are not technology. They are the connected processes we use to achieve our outcomes.
Good system design helps prevent this scenario: well-intentioned strategic goals collide with established systems that drive behavior in different directions. The result is predictable: initial enthusiasm gives way to gradual regression toward the status quo.
System design helps us translate our strategic choices into action. They provide the necessary structures, processes, measures, and culture to support core capabilities and ensure consistent performance. They are the mechanisms that enable us to effectively execute our strategy. Here are the key elements of this approach:
Structures: Aligned organizational structure, clear roles and accountabilities.
Processes: Agile planning and budgeting, robust execution processes.
Measures: KPIs and incentives linked to strategy, performance monitoring.
Culture: Norms and behaviors that support the strategy, leadership commitment and communication.
This cannot happen without developing and maintaining the capabilities needed to win in our chosen playing field.
Elevating Core Capabilities. They help develop and maintain the capabilities needed to win in the chosen playing field.
Enabling Performance Measurement: They enable tracking progress towards goals and making adjustments as needed.
Driving Continuous Improvement: They foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptation.
Here is an example to drive the concept home: Imagine an association wants to win in a particular market by focusing on innovation. A well-designed Playing to Win system would include structures like an innovation council, processes for ideation and prototyping, measures for tracking innovation success, and a culture that encourages experimentation and risk-taking. In essence, the Playing to Win framework emphasizes that a winning strategy is not just about the choices made, but also about the systems in place to support and execute on those choices.
A Conventional Approach vs. Systems Design
“If you’re a coach, your goal might be to win a championship. Your system is the way you recruit players, manage your assistant coaches, and conduct practice.”
James Clear
Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results
Associations often fail to achieve strategic objectives not because of flawed goals or insufficient planning, but due to inadequate attention to the underlying systems that enable or inhibit execution. By integrating systems design into strategic implementation, associations can create sustainable frameworks that naturally drive desired outcomes rather than relying solely on heroic efforts or temporary initiatives.
Many associations have experienced the frustration of developing an ambitious strategic plan only to see it languish during implementation. Despite clear goals and detailed project plans, the strategic vision fails to materialize in operational reality. This disconnect between strategic intent and operational execution represents one of our most persistent challenges.
The conventional approach to strategy typically follows this sequence:
Define strategic goals and objectives
Develop project plans and timelines
Assign responsibilities and deadlines
Track progress against milestones
While logical, this approach contains a fundamental flaw: it assumes that your existing organizational systems are configured to support your new strategic direction. In reality, your current systems were likely designed to achieve your previous objectives, not your new ones.
The Systems Perspective
A system is a set of interconnected elements that work together to achieve a purpose. In an association context, systems include:
Governance structures that determine how decisions are made
Resource allocation processes that direct time, money, and attention
Information flows that shape awareness and understanding
Performance management frameworks that influence behavior
Cultural norms that guide how people interact and prioritize
These systems create powerful forces that either support or resist strategic change. When new strategic initiatives encounter systems designed for previous priorities, the systems usually win – not because people are resistant to change, but because systems are persistent by design.
Systems design offers a range of significant benefits. One is problem solving. By examining the entire system rather than isolated parts, it's possible to identify root causes and craft solutions that address underlying issues, not just symptoms. This holistic view can reduce unintended consequences. Systems design also fosters enhanced collaboration by encouraging multiple perspectives and promoting cooperation. With a clearer view of how components interact, decision-making becomes more informed and strategic. Systems design cultivates greater resilience, enabling organizations to better adapt to change and navigate complex challenges.
For instance, in human health, a systems approach recognizes how lifestyle, environmental factors, and genetic predispositions interact to shape health outcomes. In education, systems design aids in understanding how curriculum, teachers, resources, and students interact to influence learning outcomes.
How It Works in Practice
“Systems thinking is a discipline for seeing wholes. It is a framework for seeing interrelationships rather than things, for seeing ‘patterns of change’ rather than ‘static snapshots.”
Peter Senge
Consider an association facing declining member engagement. A traditional strategic planning approach might focus on individual metrics like membership attrition, event attendance, or subscription rates, then create isolated initiatives to improve each one. Using a systems design approach instead, the association could map its entire membership ecosystem, identifying key interconnections between:
Member onboarding experiences
Educational content delivery
Networking opportunities
Communications channels
Career advancement resources
Volunteer pathways
Staff workflows
Technology infrastructure
Data collection and analysis
Through this process, you discover that while they offer many valuable services, the interconnections between these elements are weak. New members struggle to navigate the overwhelming array of options, many valuable services remain undiscovered, and personalization is minimal. Rather than creating separate initiatives for each service area, they redesign their entire member engagement system:
They implement a personalized member journey framework that adapts based on member interactions
They connect previously siloed data systems to create a unified view of each member
They establish feedback loops where member behavior informs content recommendations
They create natural pathways between related programs and services
The results demonstrate systems design's value: Member engagement increases not because any single service improved dramatically, but because the relationships between services were strengthened. Members now experience a coherent, adaptive system that anticipates their needs and evolves with them, rather than encountering disconnected programs they must navigate independently.
This holistic approach produces outcomes that isolated strategic initiatives cannot, demonstrating how systems design can help associations create value through value creation rather than adding more wood to the pile.
What it Means to Win
“Winners and losers have the same goals.”
James Clear
Associations tend to be cautious about using the word ‘winning.’ It seems transactional or corporate. In a systems design world, winning isn’t crushing the competition, it’s creating and delivering unique value.
Systems are an ongoing framework of action that guides behavior over the long term. While systems emphasize regular actions and habits, plans are often time-bound and can become obsolete with changing circumstances.
We win when we develop and deliver differentiated value for our members. This is not often found in a strategic plan. It is, instead, the relentless practice of value creation, community-building, and explicitly designing for impact outcomes.
I lead the product community; we are a learning community because we believe great relationships help us create the value our members want. Remember, product-led growth fuels connection. Join the product community and flip your destiny.
About the Author
James Young is founder and chief learning officer of the product community®. Jim is an engaging trainer and leading thinker in the worlds of associations, learning communities, and product development. Prior to starting the product community®, Jim served as Chief Learning Officer at both the American College of Chest Physicians and the Society of College and University Planning. Please contact me for a conversation: james@productcommunity.us