With AI capabilities shifting almost weekly, our leadership team is struggling to agree on our 3-Year Picture for our V/TO. How do we set a stable three-year vision and revenue target when our underlying operational technology will likely be completely obsolete in twelve months?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When building the 3-Year Picture on your V/TO, trying to predict specific software applications is a losing game. The technology will change three times before you reach your target date.

Instead of focusing on the specific AI tools, focus on the structural capabilities and the business model leverage you want to achieve. Set aside thirty minutes of Thinking Time to address this strategic planning challenge.

Ask yourself: How might we define our operational capacity and delivery velocity in three years so that we can hit our revenue targets with half our historic headcount ratio?

Your 3-Year Picture should paint a clear portrait of what your operations look like once fully optimized. Specify your target margin expansion, the percentage of delivery tasks that are automated, and the exact headcount you will actually need.

For example, instead of naming a specific AI vendor, document that your delivery team will spend eighty percent of their time on strategic advisory work and twenty percent on technical configuration.

This approach gives your leadership team a clear, stable target to run hard toward, while leaving the tactical tool selection to your quarterly Rocks and annual planning sessions.