The Won’t Do List® Why It’s the Second Most Important Thing in Your Planning Toolbox

The Won't Do List® is essential to One Page Solutions’ methodology because it creates strategic clarity through intentional exclusion. While most strategic planning focuses on what to pursue, this tool compels teams to explicitly identify and commit to avoiding certain opportunities that do not make a meaningful impact on their organization. This deliberate constraint prevents mission creep, resource dilution, and strategic drift.  

As a result of working through the Won’t Do List exercise, one OPS client identified 45 “priorities,” the number of which were a strain on their budget and human resources, not to mention diluting their effectiveness.  After careful analysis, they eventually eliminated several of these, enabling them to free resources and generate greater strategic alignment. 

By documenting what the organization will NOT do, teams eliminate ambiguity, align decision-making, and protect focus on core priorities. It transforms vague boundaries into concrete commitments, making "no" easier to say when distractions arise.   It also signals leadership’s commitment to focus and its willingness to make the tough calls. 

The Won't Do List doesn't just complement the strategic plan—it protects it, ensuring limited resources flow only toward high-impact activities that advance the mission.  

 It may be why the master investor Warren Buffett mused, “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.”