Mentorship in Action: A Powerful Tool in Strategic Planning

At Equilibria Strategies, we believe strategic planning is more than a leadership exercise, it’s a transformative opportunity to develop your team and align your people with your mission. One of the most underutilized, yet high-impact, approaches to deepen this process? Mentorship.

Mentoring staff through the strategic planning process, rather than simply handing them a finished plan, creates space for learning, critical thinking, and authentic investment in your organization’s future. And the dividends are measurable.

Why Mentoring Through Strategy Matters

When staff are thoughtfully engaged in strategic planning, with support and coaching, the results go far beyond a polished document. Evidence from ASAE and BoardSource shows that inclusive planning leads to stronger organizational buy-in, more innovation, and a healthier leadership pipeline.

Here’s where mentorship adds powerful value:

• It builds capacity. Mentoring staff through strategic planning gives them access to high-level thinking and decision-making. This experience builds confidence, sharpens systems awareness, and helps them understand how their daily work connects to the big picture.

• It strengthens culture. Teams that feel trusted and included in meaningful processes are more connected to the mission. Mentorship during planning helps create that sense of belonging and shared responsibility.

• It develops future leaders. When staff are coached through strategic thinking, they gain tools to lead future initiatives—and a deeper understanding of how leadership shows up across the organization.

How to Mentor Staff Through Strategic Planning

You don’t need a formal mentorship program to put this into practice. Below are a few strategies some backed by research and others I’ve seen work firsthand that help integrate mentorship into the strategic planning process:

1. Assign “planning partners.”

   
   

   For larger teams, consider pairing more senior leaders with staff across departments to review planning materials or talk through goals. In one nonprofit I worked with, this approach helped early-career staff feel more comfortable asking questions, and led to ideas that leadership hadn’t considered.

2. Use strategy meetings as mentoring moments.

   
   

   Invite staff to participate in working sessions, not just to observe, but to contribute. When leaders take a moment to explain decision-making frameworks or why certain trade-offs are necessary, those moments become masterclasses in strategic thinking.

3. Give context, not just tasks.

   
   

   When you ask someone to lead a session or analyze a data point, mentor them through the why. What does this mean for the organization? What could change as a result? This not only builds clarity but gives them real ownership.

4. Create space for reflection.

   
   

   After key milestones, take time to ask your team: What did you learn? What’s still unclear? I’ve seen organizations gain incredible insight from these reflections, and staff report that it helps them feel seen and valued.

Helping Introverted Team Members Find Their Voice

Strategic planning can be daunting for quieter or less experienced staff. But with the right approach, every voice can be heard. These evidence-informed tips have worked well in practice:

• Offer multiple ways to engage. Not everyone thinks best in real time. Create space for written input, anonymous idea submissions, or small group discussions. In one organization I worked with, collecting insights through a shared Google Doc sparked some of the richest conversations.

• Model curiosity and vulnerability. When senior leaders admit they don’t have all the answers, or explicitly invite feedback with “I’d love your take on this,” it helps others feel safe contributing.

• Recognize different kinds of contributions. Strategic insight isn’t only verbal. Celebrate the team member who spots a gap in your assumptions, the one who digs into data trends, or the person who quietly keeps conversations focused.

Strategic Planning is Leadership Development

Mentoring your team through strategic planning isn’t just good leadership, it is the leadership development your organization needs. As ASAE emphasizes, growing leadership capacity across all levels of your organization is key to resilience and long-term success.

At Equilibria Strategies, we help nonprofits turn bold vision into values-driven action by centering equity, clarity, and care in every phase of strategic planning. That includes supporting leaders to bring their teams along—not just in name, but in process.

Because when you invest in your people, you strengthen your strategy from the inside out.