developing strategy

My work here usually takes one of two forms: facilitated client workshops or strategic advisory work.

Facilitated workshops are the core of my strategic work. Each is shaped by its own thematic brief — but all are grounded in pre-workshop conversations with participants. These allow me to explore the real issues, test early insights, and seed ideas. They also serve as a mental priming for participants, which makes for richer and more productive conversations.

A hallmark of my facilitation is the ability to weave conceptual frameworks and real-world stories into the conversation in real time — lifting the quality of thinking in the room.  Clients also value my ability to bring leadership insights into the conversation.

The strategic advisory work is commonly a synthesis of client input and independent analysis, woven into a compelling strategy paper or presentation.  Typical briefs include strategic reviews for clients facing pivotal decisions: M&A; divestment; strategic growth or renewal.  At other times I have developed the strategic architecture to enable the client to run its own processes.

Writing forces an intellectual integrity that slide decks too often avoid. Over the years I have developed dozens of executive and board briefing papers and facilitated hundreds of client workshops.

technology, innovation & futures

What are the most important uncertainties facing your industry? One of most complex strategic arenas executives face is wrestling with the complexity of technology, innovation and uncertain futures. 

These engagements are typically workshops designed around the client specific context.  In one of the more innovative workshops we worked with external specialists to prepare short videos as ‘new bulletins from the future’ for the global miner.

The future of AI is prominent in strategic conversations today.  But too often the conversations are about applications.   The more strategic question: how will AI shape your industry dynamics?  This is fertile ground for scenario thinking.

Each of these workshops is influenced by the continuous environmental scanning which is a cornerstone of my strategic advisory work, my teaching and feeds my curiosity. 

“I’m often asked what’s going to change in the next 10 years … but I almost never get the question: what ‘s not going to change?”  … Jeff Bezos (Amazon founder)

Clients need to hold both conversations.  As Louis Pasteur quipped: success comes to the prepared mind.

strategy execution & leadership

A strong execution culture doesn't emerge from a plan — it is built into the leadership and management routines and practices of the senior team, and sustained through the leadership engagement across the whole organisation. A common issue is lack of shared accountability at the executive level: “my team will deliver, I’m not confident about the others”.

A former CEO reflecting on his own experience commented:

“we always focus on what the choices are … you have to spend at least as much time on explaining the logic behind the choices”.  

Leaders deep in the strategy process imagine the context is obvious — it rarely is. The result is a broader leadership group that is confused, uncertain, and disengaged from the very agenda they are being asked to drive. This is where I spend most of my time in execution work — alongside the senior leadership team.

My students often ask: how do I help my clients move from insight to execution.  My response is always the same: all change happens one conversation at a time.