Services

Portfolio of services

We partner with presidents, chancellors, provosts, boards, and leadership teams to facilitate and advance an institution’s vision, distinction, and reputation. To achieve these goals we:

  • Assess the competitive landscape to anticipate opportunities to stake out a distinctive position and mitigate risks that can damage institutional standing
  • Identify institutional strengths, vulnerabilities, opportunities, and competitive advantages
  • Design research that delivers insights about how the institution fits into the competitive landscape, how it is regarded by important stakeholders, and how its potential directions and decisions will affect its relative position
  • Conduct strategic planning retreats and processes for institutions, academic units, and strategic initiatives
  • Work with governing boards to conduct self-assessments and align their structures and practices with the strategic imperatives of the institution
  • Design and implement branding and brand refresh processes that reflect the institution’s distinct mission and offerings
  • Develop processes for change that are biased toward action and responsive to market demand while effectively engaging internal and external communities
  • Translate leadership vision and action plans into compelling messaging and communication strategies
  • Work with new and current presidents and other senior leaders to establish voice, point of view, and thought leadership platforms via speeches, opinion essays, and other channels
  • Provide expert guidance and counsel to navigate institutional change and leadership transitions
  • Provide personalized leadership coaching, mentoring and support for senior executives and teams
  • Deliver customized communication, media, and presentation training programs
  • Assess organizational structures and effectiveness of leadership teams in a range of functional areas, with particular expertise in communications and marketing, human resources, student life, government relations, equity and inclusion, and civic engagement
  • Advise on leadership search processes that convey the institution’s distinctiveness and momentum to prospective candidates; recommend search firms and assist the organization in evaluating candidates
  • Plan and help to launch exciting new initiatives and special projects for maximum impact