Strategy in Polish Companies
Did you know that as many as 40% of medium and large enterprises in Poland have no written development strategy – or can’t even identify one? In other words, nearly every second company navigates by instinct rather than by plan and long-term vision.
Instead of a clear strategic compass, their direction is set by the owner’s intuition and the need to handle daily operational waves as they come.
Why So Many Companies Lack a Strategy
The absence of a formal strategy in many Polish companies usually stems from three key reasons.
1. Habit and routine. Many businesses have grown over the years through trial and error. Founders and managers relied on intuition — and since it worked in the past, they see no reason to change. As long as the company survives and makes money, there’s a comforting illusion that “everything’s fine.”
2. Lack of time and strategic competence. Developing a strategy requires time, knowledge, and perspective. In many mid-sized firms, owners are so busy “putting out fires” that strategic work gets postponed indefinitely.
3. Undervaluing the role of strategy. There’s a widespread belief that a written strategy is a corporate formality — a document that ends up in a drawer. If the business is running and generating profits, many leaders assume it’s better not to overthink it, reacting as things happen rather than wasting time on formal plans.
As a result, the company often functions like a ship without a map — moving forward only as long as the weather is calm. In many cases, the “strategy” exists only in the CEO’s head or in a fragmented, unwritten form unknown to the wider team.
Studies show that only about one-third of Polish companies have a clearly defined, written, and communicated strategy. Even in those that do, employees often don’t know the actual direction they’re supposed to follow.
When the Storm Comes
The lack of a defined strategy can go unnoticed for years — in calm market conditions, even a company without a compass can stay afloat. Business owners often say: “We’re making a profit, so our method must work.”
Unfortunately, that’s the calm before the storm. Economic downturns, new competitors, or generational changes in leadership often expose the weaknesses of operating without a plan. When the market becomes turbulent and waves of change hit the business, a company without strategy loses control of the helm.
Teams lack clear guidance. Decisions made ad hoc tend to be chaotic or too slow. Companies without a “Plan B” struggle in a crisis, while those with a solid strategic foundation adjust course faster.
The same applies to succession: when all the company’s “know-why” lives in the founder’s head, successors often struggle to maintain direction, and the organization begins to drift without a clear goal.
Sailing Without a Compass
In the long term, operating without strategy is like gambling with luck. Without a compass, a company may miss the moment to pivot, react too late to changing trends, or overlook opportunities on the horizon.
Sometimes you can keep sailing “by memory” for years — but sooner or later, conditions change, and improvisation stops being enough.
Time to Reflect
Do you recognize your company in this description? Does your business have a clearly defined course — or is it drifting day to day, hoping for good weather?
Why do you think so many organizations give up on strategic planning — out of habit, lack of knowledge, or belief that “it will work out somehow”? 🤔
These are the questions worth asking before the next market storm arrives.
Follow this series — in the next articles, we’ll explore why companies abandon planning, what the real costs of lacking strategy are, and how to rebuild your lost compass to steer back on course.