Who do I work with?

 

I work with founders, owners and CEOs of mid-tier companies that want to create wealth for themselves and their stakeholders by increasing their company’s valuation.

 

Our clients include small to medium sized companies in the manufacturing, industrial service, or supply chain industries and have been in business for five or more years.

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As founder or CEOs, they have a significant portion of their wealth tied to the success of their business. Yet they may have not given much time and thought to how to optimize that wealth.

 

The owners we work with are fully occupied in running their businesses on a day-to-day basis, however the stress of running the organization may consume them. So they rarely have time to take stock of their business, evaluate what’s working and what could improve.

 

Why is this service needed?

 

Your company should always be “ready to sell”, even if it’s not in your immediate plans. Having a solid foundation with repeatable infrastructure and solid historical performance provides more and better options for you.

 

When your business is “ready to sell” you will see the following:

 

• Ability to attract higher profile customers
   

• More able to attract and retain excellent employees
   

• Obtain better terms with suppliers and lenders

 

Many small and mid-tier companies don’t have a solid vision or direction. Lack of vision and a solid plan to achieve that vision is a common cause of businesses underperforming. They make decisions based on the priority of the day or week, and because of this they lose time, money, and sometimes key employees.

 

Very often my clients are dealing with one or more of these challenges.
 

• Many lack a clear vision not only for the company but personally. They haven’t clarified what the business must provide to allow them to transition to the lifestyle they want.

 

• Those that haven’t clarified their vision often experience shifting priorities resulting in low sales growth, increased costs, and high employee turnover.

 

• Many underestimate the true cost of “business as usual” resulting in profitability and cash flow instability.
   

• It’s not unusual that they don’t get a consistent ROI on capital and human resources.
   

• To solve these problems, they may waste time and money on “one off” programs to address the current hot spot.

 

My work is focused on these five outcome-oriented processes.

 

1. A process for clarifying the vision for your company so that you have a foundation for decision-making that minimizes shifting priorities and increases employee engagement.

 

2. An in-depth process of honest assessment and building consensus as to where the company is currently. Resulting in the identification and prioritization of external Opportunities and Threats as well as internal Strengths and Weaknesses.

 

3. A plan that breaks down actions and accountability to address the highest priority items in order to drive consensus and execution to all parts of the organization.

 

4. Improved sales and profit performance by understanding cost drivers and use of capital, to optimize resources where you get the best return.

 

5. Clarification of your customer’s expectations and how you compare to others in your market, resulting in the creation of a strong value proposition.

 

What can you expect to gain from this approach?

 

You will start to have more repeatability and predictability in your business. This comes about because finally, you'll have your whole organization pulling in the same direction. Your goals will be aligned, not conflicting.

 

You’ll feel more confident that you now have a baseline for making decisions. Instead of chasing the most recent “bright shiny object” you’ll know what to prioritize and where to allocate your resources.

 

You’ll also see improved employee engagement through understanding their role in the direction of the organization and solidifying priorities and expectations. This leads to less turnover, higher productivity, and improved engagement.

 

Ultimately we will create a better work experience for you and your stakeholders by improving communications and results.

 

How do I work with my clients?

 

I usually work with clients for months, often years. But we always start with clients in the same place. We need to understand where you are and where you want to go.

 

It’s all about driving improved sales and profit performance by understanding strengths and weaknesses and optimizing resources where you get the best return.

 

So our first engagement is a 30-day analysis and SWOT process.

 

The end result is that you will have clarification of where you are now internally and externally. You will have a consensus on prioritizing the areas that will provide the best opportunities for rapid improvement, and will have the basis for a detailed strategy moving forward.

 

From there we may move to Enterprise Execution.

 

The end result of this engagement is a detailed strategic plan with a review process that drives execution. There is real value in the planning process. Done correctly it provides clarity and consensus. But no plan creates value without execution.

 

My Results-Driven Strategy program includes regular reviews, task visibility, and accountability. We eliminate barriers to execution and understand changes that may require modifications.

 

Why does Results-Driven Strategy Work?

I bring decision-makers together in facilitated sessions to drive open discussion and gain consensus. I use my experience to ensure everyone contributes to the process, has ownership, and accepts accountability.

 

Strategy or any change initiatives fail most of the time because they are driven from the top with little or no understanding or buy-in from all stakeholders.

 

I meet with you and your staff to help uncover barriers to execution and drive accountability throughout the organization.

 

Strategy or any change program can’t be “one and done”. It has to become part of the regular routine of the entire organization.

 

How is my approach different?

 

My process is the result of 40 years’ experience in large company turnarounds, my own companies, and the companies of numerous clients. I’ve discovered that there is a commonality of problems that most organizations face and a commonality of causes.

 

I don’t pretend to have all of the answers, but I probably do know most of the questions to ask. If you don’t have an answer, we will figure it out as a team. Not having an answer to a problem doesn’t allow us to ignore it and hope it disappears.

 

I work with your deep experience and understanding of your business and market and bring a fresh look without the emotional attachment that we all develop for our own creation.

 

I bring questions to make you defend and clarify assumptions as well as things I’ve seen in other companies and industries that may be a fit. You are responsible for the result, I’m there to help you get the best one possible in a confidential and unthreatening manner.

 

What my Program is NOT

 

It’s not a standard one size fits all. Each organization is different, and each will have its own set of problems, opportunities and resources.

 

It’s not a canned program. Most strategies never get executed; most change programs fail. Studies have shown that as much as 85% don’t gain traction. Instead, this is a customized, mutual hands-on, mutually-accountable process that drives understanding and mutually agreed upon results.

 

Real change requires real commitment from both you, your team and me.

 

It’s not a magic bullet. Technology, automation, all the latest software adds nothing if your processes aren’t correct, and your team isn’t engaged.

 

Here’s how we start…

 

If you think working with me may be for you,  we’ll set up a 60-minute meeting to answer any questions you may have and make sure the program is the right fit for you and your business.