by Tyler de la Plaine, PhD, CPM
Making complex, high-stakes decisions can be intimidating—especially when outcomes are uncertain and the pressure is intense. In military operations, particularly during wartime, timely and accurate decisions can determine survival. Similarly, in the world of business, the ability to make swift and informed decisions often marks the difference between success and failure.
To support business owners and organizational leaders in navigating these challenges, Dr. de la Plaine developed a robust decision-making and strategic planning framework called STEAME—Strategic Tactics for Envisioning, Actualizing, Measuring, and Evaluating. STEAME is a Dynamic Actualization Decision Model (DADM) using a comprehensive, 10-step process designed to help leaders make high-impact decisions, craft strategic plans, and implement them effectively.
The STEAME model guides users through the full decision-making and execution 10-step lifecycle:
1. Determine and Specify – Clearly define the issue, goal, or challenge.
2. Research – Gather relevant data and contextual information.
3. Analyze – Examine the data using structured qualitative and quantitative methods.
4. Assess – Evaluate the implications and connections within the findings.
5. Strategize – Design a targeted, actionable plan aligned with organizational goals.
6. Envision – Mentally simulate success and foster stakeholder alignment.
7. Actualize – Implement the plan using effective leadership and communication.
8. Measure – Monitor progress using defined metrics and feedback tools.
9. Evaluate – Interpret results and assess the plan’s overall effectiveness.
10. Adjust – Refine the strategy based on outcomes, lessons, and emerging needs.
With STEAME, leaders are equipped to make informed, confident decisions that drive meaningful, measurable outcomes—even in the most uncertain environments.
Step Ten Adjust the Plan
Refine and optimize the program, initiative, or strategic plan currently under review by closely analyzing the observed outcomes and trends. When the processes are generating positive, measurable, and intended results, it is critical to identify the key drivers behind that success. Strategically amplify these high-leverage points to accelerate momentum and deepen the impact. Look for opportunities to scale what is working, streamline supporting processes, and reallocate resources to high-performing areas for maximum efficiency and return.
On the other hand, if progress is underwhelming, stagnant, or if unintended consequences are surfacing—such as disruptions in other departments, stakeholder disengagement, or diminished customer outcomes—it is essential to pause and reassess. In such cases, return to the foundational steps (Steps 1 through 8) to conduct a thorough re-evaluation of the issue, context, data, strategy, and implementation. Use this recursive process to identify root causes, adjust goals, recalibrate methodologies, and realign stakeholder engagement strategies.
Effective continuous improvement demands a dual approach: proactive enhancement of successes and adaptive correction of inefficiencies or unintended impacts. This cyclical refinement ensures the initiative remains aligned with organizational values, long-term goals, and evolving internal and external conditions. By maintaining agility, fostering feedback loops, and embracing evidence-based adaptability, the organization positions itself for sustained growth and resilience.
Tyler de la Plaine, PhD, CPM
Founder and Principle Consultant
Thrive Venture Consulting: bringing people and ideas together