Number of Strategic Objectives: How Many is Too Many?

Of all things about strategic planning, this one thing drives me absolutely crazy: when the plan has a number of strategic objectives.  And by “number,” I mean way too many strategic objectives.

So how many are too many strategic objectives?

I typically recommend three to five strategic objectives, and I’m perfectly happy with fewer.  Why?  Because every strategic objective competes for the same finite resources: people, time, money, leadership attention, and organizational energy.  When everything is important, nothing is truly prioritized.

Honestly though, you can have as many as you want.  You just may not be as successful as you would like.

In The 4 Disciplines of Execution, Chris MacChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling, make a compelling case for focusing organizational energy on fewer goals.  They say that you should apply “more energy against fewer goals because, when it comes to setting goals, the law of diminishing returns is as real as the law of gravity.  If a team focuses on two or even three goals beyond the demands of the whirlwind [the day-to-day activities], they can often accomplish them.  However, if they set four to ten goals, our experience has been that they will achieve only one or two!”

They describe the pattern this way:

• With 2–3 goals in addition to the day-to-day whirlwind, teams can achieve 2–3 with excellence.
• With 4–10 goals, only 1–2 are likely to be achieved with excellence.
• With 11–20 goals, the number achieved with excellence drops to zero.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Photo: Taken from my copy of the book, The 4 Disciplines of Execution

Their point is simple: the more goals an organization tries to juggle simultaneously, the less likely it is to execute any of them exceptionally well.  That certainly matches what I’ve seen with leadership teams.

So Why Do I Say Three to Five Strategic Goals/Objectives/Initiatives?

I actually like three.  Three is focused,  memorable, and it gives the organization a fighting chance to concentrate its resources rather than spreading them across a strategic Christmas tree.

Frankly, four can work, and five is possible.  By the time I see five strategic objectives, I usually want to take a closer look at that fifth one.

Sometimes it really is strategic.  Other times, it is critically important to the organization but is actually an operational requirement, capability, or enabler rather than a strategic objective in its own right (e.g. technology, talent, etc.)  That distinction matters.  Something can be very important without automatically deserving its own strategic initiative.

Fewer Priorities Force Better Conversations

Limiting the number of strategic objectives forces a leadership team to make choices, and that is exactly what strategy requires.

• What matters most?
• Where are we going to concentrate our resources?
• What can wait?
• What are we willing to stop doing?
• What attractive opportunity gets a “not now”?

Those conversations are harder than simply putting everything important on the strategic plan.  They are also much more strategic.  And if everything makes the list, you haven’t necessarily prioritized anything.

Make Sure the Objectives Are Actually Strategic

A strategic objective should close an important gap between where the organization is today and where it wants to be.  It should warrant cross-functional attention, resources, and leadership focus.  So before adding another objective to your plan, ask whether it truly belongs at the strategic level.

And once you’ve identified your few strategic priorities, capture them in a way people can actually use.

I’m a big fan of a one-page strategic plan so the priorities stay visible rather than disappearing into a binder.

[Internal link: One-Page Strategic Plan]

Bottom Line:   Can you have more than five strategic objectives?  Sure, you can have as many as you want.  The better question is whether your organization has the capacity to give each one the focus, resources, coordination, and attention required to execute it well.

In my humble experience, those who try to push too many strategic objectives at once usually wind up doing a mediocre job on all of them.  So choose carefully.

 

 

Related Articles: 

4 Criteria for a Meaningful and Worthwhile Strategic Objective

How to Do Your Own Strategic Planning

Leaders: Do You Need Strategic Planning or Do You Have Clear Vision?

[Republished September 2026]