Friskis & Svettis is one of Sweden's largest sports movements, with over 90 associations around the country and operations in Norway and the rest of Europe. The organization is run by both elected representatives and employees, many of whom volunteer their time in their spare time. Developing a common strategy therefore requires tools and methods that make it easy for many people to participate and contribute, while at the same time ensuring that the process is efficient and transparent.
This is how Friskis & Svettis is creating its new strategy with Vocean
When Friskis was developing its new strategy for the period 2026–2028, the organization faced an important task: to build on its previous strategy, but with even clearer goals, a stronger message, and broader participation. By using Vocean, they were able to combine digital co-creation with physical workshops and create an inclusive process in which over a thousand people contributed.
About Friskis & Svettis
"With Vocean, we have been able to be flexible in the process – not bound by overly controlled plans, but instead agile and present. We have used AI as support to fine-tune questions and been able to meet people where they are, which has made the strategy work both more lively and more relevant."
Challenge
Strategy work within Friskis has always involved many people, but perhaps primarily elected representatives and management teams from the associations. Now, the organization wanted to broaden participation in order to create even greater commitment and momentum for the strategy. Ahead of the work on the strategy for 2026–2028, three specific challenges were identified:
- Accessibility and simplicity – participation needed to be easy for everyone involved.
- Efficient processing – with so many contributions, a method was needed for those responsible to quickly analyze, summarize, and take the work forward.
- Co-creation – the process would not only gather individual contributions, but also create a shared project where the participants' efforts could be woven together and developed further.
Solution
Friskis chose Vocean to create an inclusive and iterative process. The work was divided into four phases:
- 1. Evaluation of the existing strategy
• Over 900 participants contributed their assessments and free-text responses regarding the ongoing strategy.
• Collection took place via the organization’s intranet and through various digital and physical meeting formats, which made it easy to reach widely and create high participation already in the first phase. - 2. Identification and prioritization of development areas
• With the help of AI, incoming proposals were consolidated into five development areas.
• The associations’ boards prioritized among the areas directly in the Vocean platform. - 3. Formulation and assessment of goals
• The goals were developed in workshops and uploaded to Vocean for assessment of clarity, feasibility, and forward-looking character.
• The focus remained on the associations’ boards, but international associations were also invited; participants provided their association name for better follow-up. - 4. Final strategy
• A final strategy document is produced and anchored through an extraordinary annual meeting in December 2025.
• Vocean provides flexibility to handle questions that may arise in the final phase and to ensure the end product feels robust and shared.
"I have gained insights that feel robust – I can say that the strategy is truly well-established. This lends weight to the form and content of the strategy in a large organization."
Result & impact
Broad participation – over 1,000 people were involved in the process, from members and elected representatives to employees.
Strong representation – 85% of association boards participated in the prioritization process.
Increased security and legitimacy – decision-makers could rely on robust insights and a strategy backed by broad commitment.
Agile process – with the support of Vocean, the process could be adapted to the participants' needs rather than following a static plan.
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