The problem with strategy is not in the thinking, but in the doing.

When most people think of corporate strategy, they usually think research, analysis and planning but at ON-Brand Partners we’re much more fascinated with what makes ‘organisations’ tick and how that allows strategy to actually be implemented as intended. Following many deep discussions with those successful (and some less successful) in business, we identified a dilemma that has continued to drive us ever since.

With strategy...

...the problem is not in the thinking, but in the doing!

Almost every significant organisation has a strategy, some brilliant, some good and admittedly, some which are ill-conceived.  But regardless, the stark reality is that very few organisations ever achieve anything like the true potential their strategy promises. A vast amount of research certainly bears that out.

So, what is an organisation? There may be many relevant answers to that question, but we like to say the starting point is that ‘an organisation is simply a group of people who come together to create something of value for others’.  Show us an organisation that doesn’t fit that criteria?

If that is true, then what really matters for sustained performance of an organisation, is the quality of both the connections that are made between the people on the inside, and the connections they then make to stakeholders on the outside (customers, suppliers, shareholders, communities).

Above all, everyone must be connected to that value which the organisation aims to create for others -  It’s purpose. Organisations connected to their purpose ensure that everyone has a clear line of sight to the customer – no matter how far removed they are from interacting with them - and the importance of their individual roles have for the stakeholders, inside and out.

In today’s parlance, we talk about this as the need to both ‘align’ and ‘engage’ your employees around what really matters to the business.  At ON-Brand Partners we’ve enjoyed a privileged journey in recent years working with some major organisations throughout the world, designing and implementing approaches that bridge this very gap.

We can proudly say that with our help, ‘they’ have delivered real results, often remarkable improvements in a range of performance measures – such as employee engagement, productivity, internal collaboration, customer loyalty, sales, revenues, and profit. In essence they were able to bring there strategy to fruition.

At times we have been staggered by the ‘positive momentum’ created and, most importantly, sustained. The ‘they’ I refer to is critical, because you should not expect that anyone on the ‘outside’ (such as consultants, coaches, trainers or advisors) can substitute for the effectiveness of leaders internally. But what ON-Brand has done is to have enabled the collective leadership of the organisations we have worked with to be more cohesive, focused and effective.

In essence, we’ve successfully ‘connected people through their work’.  In doing so, it has made a difference – to organisations, to teams, and to individuals.

Many of the companies who have partnered with ON-Brand are large organisations, who were able to bring to bear substantial quantities of time, people resources and money to address their issues.

However, we knew an opportunity existed for smaller organisations (say 100-1000 people) or sub-groups of larger organisations, to be equipped with similar capability and opportunity.


And that’s why we offer TakeON!

TakeON! represents a blend of the best thinking, resources and tools that we have developed for a range of clients over the last decade. It cuts to the core of what is required to succeed in today’s fast paced and unpredictable world.

Fundamentally, it offers a platform for leaders at all levels of your organisation to create meaningful dialogue around what really matters to their business at any time.  A platform that is embedded in ‘business as usual’ (not bolted alongside), which allows you to implement your strategy, or quickly shift the focus of your organisation in times of need.  And it progressively builds a culture that supports your business performance.

TakeON! empowers teams and individuals to reshape what they are doing. It builds confidence into the organisation because it brings greater balance to looking at ‘what is already working’ (rather than what is not working) and how you can build upon that.

It unleashes potential by fostering collaboration, innovation, and a focus on the future.

TakeON! has been tried and tested, refined and retested across a range of organisations.  It is designed to ensure an organisation becomes self-reliant as quickly as possible, but can always call on support where needed.

For us, our current and as yet unknown clients, it represents the best of what shapes culture, leadership and performance in today’s commercial world, giving them the means to adapt and compete where the ‘rules of the game’ no longer exist. We will continue to bring new thinking, provide new tools and always, be available to provide a sounding board and guidance such that your strategy comes to life and delivers what was intended.

Why?

Because the 'doing' matters as much as the thinking.