Participative Strategy

The most powerful strategies tap into the knowledge, creativity and energy of the wider organisation, as well as connecting to a deep sense of purpose.

Traditional strategy often feels like ‘dentistry’ — a painful, passive process where experts ‘do’ strategy to an organisation. In contrast,
Participative Strategy is a co-creative process that taps into the collective knowledge and energy of the entire organisation.

We believe the most powerful outcomes occur when those best placed to contribute, and those most affected by decisions, feel genuine ownership of the results. Rather than delivering a ‘polished’ document that sits on a shelf, we focus on the process of planning through to execution, ensuring that decisions and actions flow naturally from the conversations we facilitate.

Modern leaders operate in a world of high volatility, often described as a polycrisis — where disparate shocks like geopolitical shifts, climate change, AI and digitalisation interact to create overwhelming complexity. We help leaders move beyond rigid five – year plans to an organic, unforced approach that relies on continuous learning and ‘progressive approximation’. By setting a clear, intuitive direction—organisations can remain agile even when the ‘sand is shifting beneath their feet’.

We believe that purpose is not a perfunctory part of the strategy process; it is the frame. In our research, we found a continuous loop: purpose frames the strategic choices an organisation makes, while the delivery of that strategy, in turn, reshapes and deepens its identity. We help organisations close the gap between their ‘espoused’ purpose (what they say they do) and the ‘lived’ experience of their stakeholders to maintain trust and authenticity.

This is our metaphor for a common organisational divide: the ‘Suits’ (those focused on strategy and organisation design) and the ‘Cardigans’ (those focused on people, culture, and change). Often, these groups work in silos, leading to strategies that lack cultural traction or culture initiatives that lack strategic alignment. We act as strategic change partners, bringing these perspectives together from the start so that organisational design and human dynamics work in harmony.

Doing strategy on a shoestring is not a ‘cheap’ alternative; it is an investment in your own organisational capability. Instead of paying a ‘swarm’ of outside consultants to learn about your customers, we use your internal talent—supplemented by our expertise—to conduct rapid cycles of analysis, reflection and experimentation. As we often say, borrowing from Eisenhower: ‘plans are worthless, but planning is everything’.

Culture often ‘eats strategy for breakfast’ through the patterns of decisions we make—or fail to make. We use tools like the RAPID™ framework to clarify decision rights (who recommends, approves, performs, inputs, and decides). By surfacing team dynamics and metaphors—such as a ‘salad dressing’ culture where collective decisions quickly separate back into individual silos—we help teams stick to their commitments.

Step 1: Anchor the Strategy-Purpose Loop

• Traditional strategy often treats purpose as a perfunctory add-on. In a participative model, purpose frames strategy, while strategy, in turn, shapes purpose.
• Identify your ‘North Star’: Articulate a clear, intuitive direction that helps staff navigate even when the ‘sand is shifting beneath their feet’.
• Check for Authenticity: Ensure the ‘espoused’ purpose matches the ‘lived’ experience of stakeholders. If there is a gap, be honest about it; this maintains trust.

Step 2: Do ‘Strategy on a Shoestring’
You do not need a ‘swarm’ of expensive outsiders to build a robust plan. Use your internal resources to build organisational capability.

• Tapping into Internal Talent: Use your own analysts and staff who are closest to the customer to conduct research.
• Invite ‘Critical Friends’: Deliberately seek out customers or stakeholders who care about the organisation to provide creative criticism of your emerging plans.

Step 3: Integrate the ‘Suits’ and ‘Cardigans’
A common failure in strategy is the divide between ‘Suits’ (those focused on formal strategy, organisation design and data) and ‘Cardigans’ (those focused on people, culture, and change).

• Collaborate from the Start: Bring these perspectives together early. If culture is ignored during the design phase, HR and OD leaders are often relegated to ‘clearing up’ the mess later.
• Balance Your Focus: Ensure you are looking ‘Outside-In’ (market trends and stakeholder views) as well as ‘Inside-Out’ (internal capabilities and passion).

Step 4: Show ‘Unfinished’ Work
Waiting for a ‘polished’ document often leads to cynicism or silence that is mistaken for consent.

• Work in Perpetual Draft: Showing unfinished work allows others to contribute their skills and experience, creating genuine ownership.
• Be ‘Prepared but not Complete’: Show up with your homework done and your assumptions challenged, but remain open to adaptation.

Step 5: Master the Art of Decision-Making
Culture eats strategy for breakfast through the decisions an organisation makes—or fails to make.

• Clarify Rights with RAPID: Use the RAPID framework to define who Recommends, Approves, Performs, Inputs, and—crucially—who Decides.
• Avoid the ‘Salad Dressing’ Trap: Notice if your team creates a ‘smooth emulsion’ of agreement in meetings that quickly separates back into individual silos once the session ends.

Step 6: Commit to Continuous Planning
In a ‘polycrisis’—where disparate global shocks interact—a rigid five-year plan is often irrelevant before it is finished.

• Planning vs. The Plan: Follow Eisenhower’s maxim: ‘plans are worthless, but planning is everything’.
• Progressive Approximation: Treat strategy as an ongoing process of learning and iteration rather than a one-off launch.