We work with a trustee body, a senior team or both. Where you need it, we also set out your theory of change, so the outcomes you are working towards and how you will know you are making a difference sit alongside the plan.
Each piece of work follows Thinking Differently®, our theory of change: listen, reflect, structure, respond.
When people come to us
- There has been a change of chief executive and trustees want to agree what comes next.
- The current strategy runs to next year and it is time to shape the next one.
- You want a clear plan to share with funders and partners.
- Trustees and staff want a shared view of what the organisation is for.
- A service is being reshaped and you want an independent look at what works first.
Ways to work with us
Visioning day
A facilitated session for the people who lead the organisation, working out where it is going.
Strategy development
The full process. Consultation, two sessions, a written proposal of goals and the finished strategy. Usually over two to three months.
Strategy refresh
You already have a strategy. We test whether it still holds, run a session on what has changed, and rewrite the goals that need it.
Theory of change development
A facilitated process that sets out what your organisation does, the change it expects to see and why, so trustees, staff and funders can follow how the work leads to results.
Service review
An independent look at a service such as early help, youth services or complaints, covering what is working well, what is not and what needs to happen, with recommendations you can act on.
Agreeing a direction after a change of chief executive
We worked with a small charity over three months, not long after a period of upheaval and the appointment of a new chief executive. The board and the chief executive wanted to agree where the charity was going before committing to anything else.
We ran two sessions. The first brought trustees and staff together to look at where the charity was and what was working. Between the sessions we spoke to people individually, and what came back shaped the second session, where the priorities were agreed.
The charity came out with a high level strategy for the next three to five years and a shorter list of priorities, with the board and the chief executive working to the same plan.
"After a period of upheaval the board needed to agree where we were going. James facilitated the sessions, supported us through some difficult conversations and got us to a high level strategy and plan for the next three to five years. It was the right support at the right time."
Chair of trustees
From listening to a plan
What people have already told you
We start from the feedback you already hold.
A short questionnaire
Ten to fifteen minutes, anonymous, for everyone involved.
First session
Together you agree where the organisation is going.
A written proposal of goals
We draft the goals from everything we have heard.
Second session
You agree the goals and the plan is yours.
Who we listen to
- Children and young people
- Families
- People you support
- Partners and funders
- Trustees and board
- Senior leaders
- Operational staff
- Volunteers
- Anyone else with a stake
Strategy 2027 to 2030 · On a page
Where we are going
Our vision
Families with a disabled child have somewhere to turn early, close to home.
Families find us earlier
Families reach us early, and tell us they were listened to the first time.
Young people shape what we do
Young people can point to something we do differently because of them.
We are on a secure footing
No single funder holds more than a third, and reserves cover four months.
You end with your strategy on a page, and a supporting document that sets out each goal with timescales and measures.
Illustrative example. A fictional charity.
Free download. Strategy on a page template (PDF), the blank version of the example above. Use it and share it freely. Also free: Questions before a strategy day, Strategy consultation questionnaire and Theory of change template.
Free guide. How to run a strategy day, from preparing for the day to leaving with a plan people own, with sample agendas and tools to use on the day.
Your questions answered
How do we get started?
Get in touch and we will arrange an informal conversation to understand what you need and agree an approach.
What if we see things differently?
That is common at the start, and the first session is built for it. It finds where the real disagreement is and puts it in front of you so it can be decided.
What if we already have a strategy?
Then the work is shorter. We test whether it still holds, run a session on what has changed, and rewrite the goals that need it.
Can we just have the day?
Yes. The visioning day stands on its own, and it works best where trustees and the senior team have already done some of their thinking and need somebody to run the conversation.
Who writes it?
We do. You agree the goals and sign off the finished document, and you are as involved in the drafting as you want to be. Nobody is asked to go away and write it.
What keeps the work moving?
People get stuck on one goal more often than on the whole plan. We put the stuck goal back in writing with the options set out, and bring it to the second session.
Can you support the chief executive or chair alongside the process?
Yes. Coaching or mentoring for the chief executive or chair can run alongside the strategy work, led by a CMI Level 7 qualified coach and mentor.
Every piece of work starts with an informal conversation
Let's talkIf you are not ready for a conversation yet, our free resources are there to use, and the mailing list brings new ones as they are published.