Helping organisations change
Do you know where you're headed?
Do you have a clear vision of where you are trying to get to? Do you know what the goals and objectives are to deliver it? Have you defined the various strategies by which the objectives might be realised and how you will know when they have been achieved? What will change your destination – how fixed is it, how certain?
Destination is about why, what and who. Sometimes, the journey starts too early – sometimes, the ‘why’ is unclear, and the focus is all on ‘what’. Heading for the wrong destination is not a good move. Understand that you are already on a route of some kind, even if it is unclear or uncharted. You are already en route, and you are already in motion. Understand your current path before planning where to go.
Our approach is to ensure that any solutions are business-driven, appropriate, affordable and achievable. We can deliver the business case, and help obtain the necessary funding.
Do you know how to get there?
Work should be proportional to gain – is the programme plan sensible, practical, not too complicated? Most importantly, do you really believe it, when there are other ways that have been discounted? Standing back, looking at what you are about to do dispassionately, are you flying off into the fog? If so, should you gain a better understanding, even if the journey takes longer? Planning your route must also consider timescale, both in terms of the best time to start, and being realistic about how long it will take, not just to deliver something but to fully realise the vision, and see it delivering value. Route is all about how and when.
We can make sure your plan is achievable, and delivers what you want, when you need it.
Making it happen
How will you create enough traction to get the change process started, who do you need on side? How will you inspire and motivate, and raise priority? What happens when something major goes wrong and the initiative is at risk - who do you turn to, to get through it? How much control do you have over this drive, will it always be there when you need it?
Effort is about getting the job done, according to plan. It is about leading and managing to keep things moving along the planned Flightpath. What will ensure that suppliers supply to time and quality, that training gets rolled out in time, that risks and enablers get properly managed, and the right level of collaboration is achieved across the business?
We can provide the drive, energy and vision to get things moving, and ensure the right people are in place to keep it that way.
A balanced approach
Does it all feel right? How much trust do you have in the processes, the leadership, the management? How are things changing, that will impact on your initiative? Are you getting the right information with which to make decisions? Assessment is not just about measuring, it’s also about sensing, and knowing which questions to ask of each situation. Adjustment may be needed in different ways: between people, to get better working practices, between drive and effort to get started, and to get the job done, between requirements and what is being delivered, or between complexity and available skills. In each case, adjustment will require a range of leadership abilities – technical, managerial, inter-personal. Making the right decisions is of little use unless they are properly communicated to the right people, and also acted upon. How well are decisions taken on board, are you getting the right results? If not, why not? Is the balance right? Do you have enough emotional intelligence to get the message across?
We will ensure that you've got the balance right - the right strategies and measures, route, influence and drive, project and programme management, effort and reward, communication and response.
How we can help
We have extensive experience of designing and delivering complex projects and programmes from start to finish, addressing the full lifecycle from design, through procurement and contract management to delivery and benefits realisation. We also provide a programme turnaround service to realign and refocus projects and programmes that have lost their way. We appreciate and can use design tools and methodologies, but we believe that the business comes first. It is important to present business solutions using business language.
We are also experienced in bidding successfully for and managing joint ventures, and multi-partner pan-European projects between public and private sectors.
Our expertise
We work across sectors such as environmental finance, energy, transport, water and environment, and in disciplines such as operations research, geodemographics and social research.
