Strategy development revolves around leveraging a distinctive proposition to deliver the company’s vision, within a clear understanding of strategic context. In working with clients to develop their strategy, we challenge and support them to be crystal clear on both. The two vectors work as an overall ‘organising intelligence’ for the business. They guide investment decisions, talent development, organisation design, communications and everything else.
Strategic Insight
Insight from two different lenses help drive successful strategy: insights from customers and external stakeholders, and insights from inside the business. We have developed related insight programmes which our clients find invaluable in both respects:
Expert Perspectives™
Bespoke panels of experts which we put together including academics, journalists, investors and others who bring a valuable objective perspective to understanding strategic issue and opportunity areas. We collate and present the insight in a thought-provoking and stimulating way.
“We particularly like the way that forward thinking inc are able to track down experts worldwide whose objective perspective can add colour and context to the strategy debate.”
Strategy Director
Customer View™
A mix of qualitative and quantitative insight into target customer needs and perspectives collated into a concise customer insight pack.
“Their research and statistical analysis is second to none!”
VP Research & Analytics
FTI Forums™
Innovative online forums curated by our research team to explore in-depth strategic issue and opportunity areas. The confidential nature of our forums allows participants to openly discuss and develop views they often feel less confident discussing with peers, line managers or in more traditional focus group settings.
“The FTI Forum has been a real revelation in helping us understand the issue and opportunity areas highlighted by our engagement survey. It generated an unusual depth of insight and the team translated the findings into practical actions we are already implementing. It helped us develop a business case to successfully bring our Executive along on the journey too. Fantastic in every respect.”
HR Director
Strategic Planning
A good strategic plan should be simple, clear and concise. It should set out how the business will grow its long-term value as well as achieve its shorter-term objectives. We use our strategy model to support clients in developing practical plans to address opportunities in each area.
Data & Analytics
To develop its strategy, an organisation needs to understand strategic context. We work with clients to understand the key drivers of the markets they operate in and identify the issues and opportunities they need to address and capitalise on to be successful. Our research and analytics team are experts in all aspects of data analytics, market modelling and scenario planning. We also offer a broad range of research programmes, both qualitative and quantitative.
Communications & Engagement
For a strategy to be effective it must be clearly communicated and understood within a business. That’s not always the case in reality. When we develop a strategy with our clients we help them to articulate the ‘strategy story’ internally and build employee engagement and commitment to it at all levels in the organisation. This work often bridges into change management support since adjusting strategic direction often necessitates shifts to the way the organisation works and functions.
Change Management
We work with senior management to both frame and execute change programmes. Critical to delivering change successfully is for leaders to have a clear and agreed vision and to lead from the front. A strategic initiative should be supported by an effective change management model to measure and track progress and ensure consistent and effective engagement with the employee population along the way. We can either manage the change programme as an outsourced resource or support in-house teams to achieve the same end.
Best in Class (BiC) Services
Front line sales teams need the right level of assistance from their support functions – HR, IT, RE, Finance, Research and others. We work with clients to benchmark their shared central services against best in class standards. The resulting gap analysis is invaluable in equipping COOs to optimise cost performance and service delivery. The process also helps open up dialogue and strengthens relationships between front line and support functions.
Workplace Strategy
A firm’s workplace is where strategy and people meet. It can help dramatise the corporate brand, build organisational social capital and impact employee productivity. Our workplace strategy team are vastly experienced in helping clients to optimise the working environment and to embrace the opportunity of flexible working with all the strategic and operational benefits such flexibility can deliver. We have a dedicated workplace strategy research arm called 'The Workplace Intelligence Unit'. You can find out more here.