Strategic planning is something every business needs, yet no one wants to make time for it. Even the most successful companies can lose their way without a clear long-term vision. A well-defined 10-year plan provides direction and focus and serves as a roadmap that guides your organization toward sustained success.

In this guide, we'll explore successful 10-year plan examples and offer step-by-step instructions to help you create a strategic plan that drives your business forward. Whether you're looking to expand your market share, enhance your product offerings, or achieve a significant milestone, a well-crafted 10-year plan will set you off on the right foot.

Why Make a 10-Year Plan?

A 10-year plan provides a clear, ambitious target that aligns your organization's efforts. Before we break down how to create a 10-year plan, we need a target. This starts with your 10-year goal. A 10-year target is a long-range, energizing goal for your organization. This goal should be ambitious—a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal (BHAG), per Jim Collins—designed to stretch your organization while providing clarity on your future direction. With this long-range target in place, short-term planning becomes more effective, as every step taken today is grounded in the pursuit of your long-term success.

Examples of Successful 10-Year Plans

For any company, your 10-year plan should be specific, measurable, and inspiring. It should reflect goals related to any success metric (e.g. distribution, control of market, revenue, available products, referral success, etc…). Here are a couple of 10-year plan examples that start with an ambitious 10-year goal, and then gradually break it down into the tasks for the upcoming quarter.

Example 1: Energy Company

10-Year Goal: Be the leading provider of renewable energy in the Midwest, with 80% market penetration in residential solar power installations.
Challenge: The company faces significant competition from established energy providers and must overcome regulatory hurdles in different states to achieve its market penetration goals.
3-Year Goal: Establish a strong foothold in three key states—Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan—by increasing market share to 40% in these regions through strategic partnerships and aggressive marketing.
1-Year Goal: Launch a targeted marketing campaign in Illinois, driving a 15% increase in customer acquisition and securing partnerships with five major homebuilders for exclusive solar installations.
Quarterly Goals:

Finalize contracts with two homebuilders and begin pilot projects.
Roll out the marketing campaign and achieve a 5% customer acquisition increase.
Expand partnerships to two additional homebuilders and boost market share in Illinois.

Example 2: Vitamin & Supplement Company

10-Year Goal: Become the top global brand in personalized health supplements, offering tailor-made products to 10 million customers worldwide.
Challenge: The company must navigate complex international regulations and build trust with customers wary of data privacy concerns related to AI-driven personalization.
3-Year Goal: Build a robust e-commerce platform that integrates AI-driven personalization, reaching 1 million customers and expanding into five international markets.
1-Year Goal: Develop and launch the AI personalization engine on the e-commerce site, and enter the Canadian market with a tailored marketing strategy.
Quarterly Goals:

Complete the development of the AI engine.
Begin beta testing with a select group of customers.
Establish 3-5 local partnerships in the Canadian market.

How to Create Your 10-Year Plan Step-by-Step

After reviewing examples of successful 10-year plans, you may have noticed some common structural elements. Below is a guide to creating a 10-year plan, highlighting the key components you should include. For EOS® organizations, this process typically happens during your Vision Building Days when you first implement EOS® using the Vision Traction Organizer™ (V/TO™). However, any organization can follow this structure to set a clear path for long-term success.

1. Get Grounded In Your Focus

The first step in 10-year planning is to reconnect with the core aspects of your business. Start by listing your top five core values and defining your core focus—this is your organization’s purpose or cause, the reason your business exists. Along with your focus, clarify your specific niche in the market. This grounding ensures that your long-term planning remains aligned with what makes your business unique and valuable.

2. Choose Your 10-Year Target

Once you've reaffirmed your business’s core focus, it’s time to establish your 10-year target. This step requires input from your entire leadership team to brainstorm and discuss your business’s future. Encourage big ideas and bold thinking, then refine these ideas into a clear, specific, and measurable goal. Your final 10-year target should be concise—ideally one or two sentences—and descriptive enough that everyone in your company, not just the leadership team, can envision it.

3. Zoom In on Three Years

With your 10-year target set, the next step is to break it down into more manageable chunks by setting a 3-year goal. This mid-term milestone helps bridge the gap between your long-term vision and immediate actions. Define where you want your business to be in three years, including specific metrics, market positions, and organizational growth targets that will keep you on track toward your 10-year goal.

4. Map Out Your 1-Year Plan

Now, zoom in further to create a 1-year plan based on your 3-year goal. Identify what your team needs to achieve in the next 12 months to stay on course for your 3-year milestone. This plan should include key objectives, growth targets, and any strategic initiatives that will set you up for success in the coming year.

5. Set Quarterly Rocks

Next, break your 1-year plan into quarterly goals. In EOS® terminology, these are your Rocks—SMART goals for the next 90 days. These Rocks should be directly aligned with your 10-year plan, ensuring that every quarter contributes meaningfully to your long-term success.

6. Identify Obstacles

Finally, identify any issues or obstacles that could hinder your progress. These challenges should be addressed and documented on your V/TO™. By acknowledging potential roadblocks early, you can proactively find solutions and keep your team focused on achieving your goals.

Best Practices for Creating a 10-year Plan

When developing your 10-year plan, keep these best practices in mind:

Conduct a SWOT Analysis: Assess internal strengths and weaknesses, along with external opportunities and threats, to understand the factors that could impact your plan.
Include a Visual: Create a visual representation of your 10-year plan and display it in your office or within your workflow management system to keep it top-of-mind for your team.
Reflect During Annual Meetings: Fill out a new Vision Traction Organizer™ (V/TO™) at each annual meeting and compare it to the previous year’s. This reflection helps you track shifts in priorities and ensures your plan stays aligned with your evolving business goals.

Final Thoughts: Creating Your 10-Year Plan

Crafting a strategic 10-year plan is essential for setting your business on a path toward long-term success. By defining a clear and ambitious 10-year goal, breaking it down into manageable steps, and regularly revisiting your progress, you can align your team, stay focused on your vision, and navigate the challenges that come your way.

If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, GCE Strategic Consulting is here to help. With our expertise in strategic planning and the EOS® framework, we can help you develop a 10-year plan that keeps your organization moving forward. Contact us today!

FAQ

What is a 10-year plan?

A 10-year plan is a strategic roadmap that outlines your organization’s long-term goals along with the incremental steps needed to achieve them.

How do you create a 10-year plan?

The first step to creating a 10-year plan is to write down where you want your organization to be in 10 years. With this goal expressed, backtrack to progressively shorter time-frames. Identify where you should be in three years to be on track to achieving that vision. Then break it down further into one-year and quarterly increments.

What are the benefits of a 10-year plan?

A 10-year plan provides direction and focus, ensuring that daily actions are aligned with long-term objectives. It helps unify your team around a common vision, improves decision-making, and allows you to anticipate challenges and opportunities.

10-Year Plan Examples: Strategic Planning for Business Success