Supporting boards, CEOs and managers to make the right strategic choices with confidence
Strategic thinking is key to leadership. But it’s not always easy. And it’s normally best to do as a group and with some outside perspective. That’s where we come in – as strategic consultants and facilitators.
We help leaders by, for example:
- strengthening the clarity, depth and range of ideas and perspectives considered
- providing expert support in the methods and process involved in strategy
- carrying out needed analysis, research or stakeholder consultations
- ensuring discussions are well-structured and challenge assumptions or biased views
- ensuring decisions made are clear, practical and well-supported by team-members
Strategic reviews, research and analysis
Data and analysis underpin all strategies and plans. We provide support in the following areas:
External reviews – from general external (e.g. economic, political) to market/competitor factors Internal reviews – from organisational SWOT factors to detailed performance analysis Stakeholder research – from client surveys to wider consultations (e.g. partners, suppliers)
Purpose, vision and values frameworks
We help leaders define crucial strategic, longer-term statements of direction for their organisation. Sometimes called ‘North Star’ frameworks. Key elements usually include organisational purpose, medium-term vision, target client/customer needs, business/market scope, medium-term goals, together with guiding values/driving beliefs for personnel.
Organisational-level strategic planning
We can help with developing, reviewing or refreshing organisation-level strategies and plans. We offer support along the whole strategic planning process, including:
- Choices of medium-term competitive positioning and business/operating model
- Development and assessment of strategic options
- Selection of main strategic pathways / themes
- Definition and elaboration of key initiatives, actions and projects,
- Deciding on organisational structure, capabilities, resourcing and systems needs
- Implementation planning – challenges, risks, performance targets, reporting processes
We’ll bring, of course, expertise in a range of research, survey, analytical, creative and planning tools and methods. If your industry is particularly fast-moving, we can help you with ‘agile’ strategy, using broad ‘strategic frameworks’ rather than traditional, detailed multi-year plans.
Management and operational strategies and plans
Alongside organisation-level choices, we can assist managers with decisions in more focused, operational areas, such as:
- Product, market or business-sector strategies – including NPD and market entry decisions
- Functional, divisional or department-level plans e.g. marketing, sales, production
- Organisational and people – for example, culture, training and reward strategies
- Leadership practices and policies
- Change initiatives and project planning
- Management and IT systems
Strategic facilitation
To help make decisions, we regularly incorporate the use of group dialogue – including focus groups, workshops and away-days. In our experience as facilitators, structured team discussion can particularly help where:
- the situation is complex and needs more careful thinking together
- team members are holding quite different views and there is little alignment
- there is not enough radical or innovative thinking in the team
- ideas and conversations have become stuck or unproductive
Strategic coaching support for specific operational or performance issues
We provide tailored, focused support for individual managers or teams who could use a neutral, helping hand or ‘sounding board’ to discuss, resolve or handle particular, ‘live’ strategic or leadership issues, challenges or projects in their jobs.
We emphasize a positive and practical ‘solutions-focused‘ support approach, helping managers focus on future desired outcomes, consider issues objectively and creatively, and identifying options for moving forward that often build on or improve on what they do today.
Strategic consultants and facilitators – for the professional support you need
By working with us, you can make strategic choices with both rigour and confidence. So you can focus on getting on with achieving the results you want!
Start a conversation with us!
Whether you’re looking for focussed or broader strategic support, let’s talk. Call us at the office on 01994 278118 or email us via the Contact page on this website.