WHAT’S INVOLVED?

Setting future direction for a professional practice or project-based firm is a critical leadership job – especially in tough times when a company may need to pivot, transform or rebuild. Firms that succeed use strategic planning to anchor their decisions, communicate direction to their teams, and create superior value for their clients. We’ve built expertise and experience in strategic planning for every stage of the entrepreneurial journey. We’ve helped clients build roadmaps to accelerate growth, change market focus, improve profitability, prepare for acquisition or sale, or restructure.

FOCUS AREAS

Strategic planning & assessment

• Developing and executing business strategies to achieve a firm’s vision
• Facilitated leadership retreats to review and make strategic decisions

Managing change

• Ensuring organizational buy-in to strategic and operational decisions

Developing turnaround strategies

• Ensuring a focused approach to business restructuring

WHAT’S INVOLVED?

Leading creative businesses take a strategic approach to managing finances and operations. We look closely at our clients’ systems and processes to find opportunities to optimize finances and generate cash. We help them achieve their professional goals within a realistic economic framework.

FOCUS AREAS

Assessing financial performance

• Understanding a firm’s results and its potential

Optimizing cash management

• Improving skills and tools to achieve better cash management

Improving project profitability

• Developing skill and processes to improve project performance

Streamlining business processes

• Integrating business activities and improving outcomes

WHAT’S INVOLVED?

Succession planning is a continuous strategic process that can build a firm’s value and creative power. We help owners of creative businesses assess their options for succession. We support them by developing and facilitating succession plans that integrate business strategy, people, and finances.

FOCUS AREAS

Developing succession strategy

• Setting direction and goals for succession

Selecting and developing the right owners

• Ensuring the right people are in the right places

Financial planning and analysis for share purchases

• Designing share sale programs

WHAT’S INVOLVED?

People are the primary economic resource in a creative business. Leading firms understand that a strategic approach to people and culture drives up skill levels, increases productivity and creates a rewarding culture of meaningful work. We assess people and culture to help shape workforces that deliver on strategic objectives. We develop systems to manage recruitment and retention, compensation, learning and development, and succession.

FOCUS AREAS

Developing pathways to leadership

• Selecting and developing future leaders and owners

Managing talent

• Recruiting, assessing, and rewarding the right people
• Motivating and managing performance
• Building better compensation systems
• Day-to-day HR management support

Structuring the organization

• Designing effective organizations

WHAT’S INVOLVED?

Creative and professional services firms need business skills and creative abilities to drive success. When companies invest in teaching their emerging leaders advanced business and consulting skills, they reap rewards through improved engagement, better management, and stronger succession. We design and deliver custom learning and development programs that serve business goals and individual learning needs.

FOCUS AREAS

Programs for emerging leaders

• Advanced skills for business strategy and creative leadership

Programs for new managers

• Essential business and management skills for professionals

Programs for professional employees

• Teamwork, communications, and client management

WHAT’S INVOLVED?

Successful professional service firms actively use their brands to stand out from the competition. They drive growth by integrating their brand, business development and strategic marketing activities. We help develop compelling brands and create strategic business systems to deliver on a firm’s brand promise.

FOCUS AREAS

Brand Audits

• Assess the value of your brand – and its challenges

Brand Building

• Develop a more powerful, persuasive, and authentic brand

Brand Activation

• Develop the people, roles, and skills you need to deliver your brand promise