We build plans then help make them happen.

Building plans

Plans for businesses and teams to strengthen, grow, change, find new opportunities and make difficult decisions.

Sometimes you know exactly what needs to happen but need to get everyone behind it. Sometimes there are lots of ideas but no clear direction. And sometimes you need to step back and work out what the real question is before trying to answer it.

We help you do that.

  • Getting to the right question, examining the assumptions and thinking widely about the possibilities is the preparation that gives better outcomes.

    ‍Imagine if Henry Ford settled for what people thought they needed - a faster horse - missing the opportunity to invent the car. Really thinking helps us figure out if we want and what we think individually.

    What we gain is inclusion, creativity and immediate buy in.

  • Properly listening to individuals perspectives, experience, and ideas gives us a new level of understanding and creates a platform for collaboration.

    Hearing from a diverse range puts lots of ideas forward in a format that can turn volume from complexity to clarity.

    What we gain is understanding, depth and stronger relationships.

  • This is where we physically take bricks that represent ideas from individuals models to create a group model.

    This gives us the combined thinking to build a plan on.

    What we gain is strengthened buy-in, as individuals see their contribution being adopted, and a 3D model rather than words on paper .

  • We turn shared thinking into clear priorities, actions and ownership.

    What we gain is a practical plan everyone understands, believes in and can deliver.

We all know of a plan that has been formed by one or two noisy voices in the room, gathers dust, isn't delivered and no one can quite remember what it said. We don't do these types of plans!

We start by understanding what you are really trying to achieve and making sure we are asking the right questions.

We then bring together the people, ideas and perspectives that matter, creating the right environment for collaboration and turning individual thinking into shared thinking.

From there, we build.

Through structured, engaging sessions, everyone contributes, different perspectives become visible and complex issues or emotive opinions become easier to explore and resolve. Sometimes we literally build the thinking using LEGO Serious Play techniques; other times we use different facilitation approaches depending on the people and the challenge.

The result is a plan built by the group - relevant, achievable and something people can see their contribution in.

Clearer thinking. Stronger ownership. A practical way forward built by the people who will help make it happen.

Making plans happen

A planning workshop might be exactly what you need. Or it might just be one part of the work.

Sometimes our expertise comes in before the plan, helping explore an issue, analyse the business or understand an opportunity so the group is answering the right questions.

Once there's a plan, our focus can turn to helping make it happen.

Our involvement can range from a single facilitated session to longer-term support:

  • Facilitation and workshops - bringing people and ideas together to explore issues, make decisions and build plans.

  • Business advice and consultancy - bringing practical commercial, customer, operational and leadership experience to the questions that need deeper exploration.

  • Creating partnerships and connections - identifying and connecting the people, organisations and opportunities that can strengthen the plan or unlock something new.

  • Coaching, mentoring and development - helping individuals and teams build the capability and confidence needed to move forward.

  • Project and programme support - adding capacity and experience to move an agreed plan into action.

  • Interim and fractional support - providing experienced leadership and additional capacity for a period of time without the need for a permanent appointment.

Where specialist expertise is needed, we draw on our partners and wider UK and international network to bring the right people around the table.

Built around what you need

We don't start with a standard package or assume every client needs the same process.

The work might begin with a three-hour workshop, a particular business question or a longer period of support. It might involve your leadership team, board, employees, customers, advisors or other stakeholders.

We work with commercial businesses, membership organisations, charities and not-for-profits, advisors, consultancies and professional partners, in person and online.

What matters is understanding what you are trying to build, change, resolve or improve and creating the right approach around it.

From thinking to action

The plan is the point, but it isn't the end.

Whether we stay involved in delivery, connect you with someone who can help or hand the plan back to your team to take forward, the aim is the same:

A plan people understand, own and can actually use to create a stronger business.

Who we work with...