We provide advice and services in the following four areas:

Services provided by the Strategy Shop

1. Facilitation of Planning Processes and chairing of Meetings

                          Most effective planning is participative, involving at least those on whom

                          implementation depends. Collective planning doesn’t just happen. The

                          process often requires a neutral or objective chair or facilitator to ensure it

                          is genuinely participative and to maximize the progress made in the time

                          available. The Strategy Shop is increasingly asked to facilitate such

                          processes by Boards, Committees, management groups and stakeholder

                          groups, particularly when the issues are at the interface between sectors

                          (eg. public and private).

 

2. Audits, Reviews and Feasibility Studies

                          It is often appropriate to conduct a study of what is actually happening,

                          and/or what is feasible, before embarking on change processes.

                          Audits and reviews help to analyse whether objectives are being met cost-

                          effectively, and they can provide powerful pointers to the strategies needed

                          for improvement. Feasibility studies analyse whether an idea or concept is

                          worth pursuing and under what conditions. The key to these studies is

                          objective analysis, with straightforward reporting and practical

                          recommendations. The Strategy Shop is respected for its objectivity and

                          frankness, and we are frequently asked to collect trustworthy data from

                          which strategic options can be developed. Our emphasis is on practicality,

                          common sense and plain English.

 

3. Communications and Change Strategies

                          There is immense power in effective communications. A broad range of

                          clients have engaged our services for strategy development in these areas.

                          The Strategy Shop has conducted a number of communications audits and

                          has developed numerous internal and external communications strategies.

                          The clarification of objectives, audiences, means and messages is

                          commonly included. Recently we have been involved in a range of projects

                          for which stakeholder consultation and engagement have been an integral

                          component. We develop strategies and offer a full implementation service

                          for implementation of the processes.

                          You can seldom do just one thing. Every change implies other changes.

                          Changes in policy or leadership or directions will require changes within

                          the organisation itself, and organisational change needs to be planned

                          strategically. The Strategy Shop is involved in the development of whole-of

                          -organisation integrated change strategies and we have conducted a

                          number of structural and management reviews of organisations.

                          Recently we have also been engaged to conduct a number of governance

                          reviews, whereby analysis of the way that an organisation works leads to

                          proposed strategies for improvement.

 

4. Mentoring and Training in Leadership and Strategic Thinking

                          Many new appointees to Executive/Manager of Committee/Board positions

                          find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings. They are often unclear as to

                          who they can turn to for objective advice, or for counsel on procedures or

                          processes. Strategy Shop consultants can fill a mentoring role for specific

                          individuals, meeting regularly with them and contributing external analysis

                          and guidance, and/or a sounding board for the development of skills and

                          the making of decisions. Leadership and strategic thinking are often

                          interrelated components of change, and the strategy shop runs training

                          courses and provides advice in both.

 

 

These four service areas overlap on some projects and many of our clients have commissioned work in more than one service area.