Keeping your strategy alive

Publish date: 7 Jul, 2026

Museums are facing growing demands, tighter budgets and an increasingly unpredictable operating environment. So how do you create a strategy that provides clear direction without becoming disconnected from reality?

In this conversation, brand and web agency Osch and AIM Associate Supplier talk to strategy and organisational development consultant Peter Rimmer about why strategies often fail to gain traction and whether the traditional three-year plan is still fit for purpose. They also explore what organisations can do to better align ambition with culture, capability and day-to-day decision-making.

Key takeaways:

  • Strategy should live in everyday conversations, not sit on a shelf – if you treat strategy as a process rather than an output, it becomes part of how you operate. It means the board of trustees and senior leaders having strategic conversations throughout the year and regularly checking on progress.
  • The default three-year plan isn’t always the right answer – many charities, including museums, are finding they need a short-term strategy to address short-term challenges, with a clear direction of travel for the longer term.
  • Ambition must match culture, skills and operating model as these are all interconnected and contribute to the organisation’s sustainability.  
  • Good strategy needs time, reflection and diverse voices.
  • Storytelling helps people see themselves in the direction of travel.
Click here to read the full interview (opens in a new tab)

Chloe Roach, Strategy Director, Osch

Click here to visit the Osch website (opens in a new tab)

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