Finding good images is the hardest part of creating a strategic plan

Please bear with me here.

If you have created a living strategic plan for your organization, it ends up being a pretty smooth process. After the first painful iteration, it becomes more a matter of swapping out the old and swapping in the new. Making updates and changes becomes second nature.

But finding relevant, engaging images that made the book pop? Fricking hell, just end my life now.

For every one photo I find in our archives that looks cover-worthy, there are twenty from the field with terrible-yellow inside lighting and profoundly tired-looking staff.

It’s not usually the graphic designer’s fault either — snapping powerful photos usually takes a back seat to that person’s million other duties.

But please just consider developing a repository of images, of various types, that are professional and engaging. Also make them available to all staff for their use. Create and share materials that present your business in the best possible light.