About Friskis & Svettis
Friskis & Svettis is one of Sweden’s largest sports movements, with just over 90 associations around the country as well as operations in Norway and the rest of Europe. The organisation is run by both elected representatives and employees, many of whom volunteer in their spare time. Developing a shared strategy therefore requires tools and methods that make it easy for many people to take part and contribute, while the process must also be efficient and transparent.
The challenge
Strategy work at Friskis has always involved many people, but mainly the associations’ elected representatives and management teams. Now the organisation wanted to broaden participation to create even greater engagement and momentum behind the strategy. Ahead of the work on the 2026–2028 strategy, three particular challenges were identified:
Accessibility and simplicity – taking part had to be easy for everyone involved. Efficient processing – with so many contributions, those responsible needed a way to quickly analyse, summarise and take the work forward. Co-creation – the process should not only collect individual input, but create a shared effort where the participants’ contributions could be woven together and developed further.
The solution
Friskis chose Vocean to create an inclusive and iterative process. The work was divided into four phases:
Evaluation of the existing strategy
- More than 900 participants contributed their assessments and free-text answers about the current strategy.
- Input was collected through the organisation’s intranet and various digital and physical meeting formats, which made it easy to reach widely and create high participation already in the first phase.
Identifying and prioritising development areas
- With the help of AI, the incoming proposals were compiled into five development areas.
- The associations’ boards prioritised among the areas directly in the Vocean platform, which ensured a democratic process.
Formulating and assessing goals
- The goals were developed in workshops and posted in Vocean to be assessed for clarity, feasibility and forward-looking character.
- The focus remained on the associations’ boards, but international associations were also invited; participants stated the name of their association for better follow-up.
Final strategy
- A finished strategy document is produced and anchored at an extraordinary general meeting in December 2025.
- Vocean provides the flexibility to handle questions that may come up in the final phase and to make sure the end result feels robust and shared.
With Vocean we have been able to stay responsive in the process – not bound by overly rigid plans, but agile and present instead. We have used AI to help fine-tune questions and have been able to meet people where they are, which has made the strategy work both more alive and more relevant.
Tina UppfeldtFriskis & SvettisResults & impact
The work with Vocean resulted in:
Broad participation – more than 1,000 people were involved in the process, from members and elected representatives to employees. Strong representation – 85% of the association boards took part in the prioritisation steps. Greater confidence and legitimacy – decision-makers could rely on robust insights and a strategy carried by broad engagement. Agile process – with Vocean’s support, the process could be adapted to the participants’ needs rather than following a static plan.
I have gained insights that feel robust – I can say that the strategy is truly anchored. That gives weight to the form and content of the strategy in a large organisation.
Tina UppfeldtFriskis & Svettis
