Business Advice

We were asked to advise a medium sized client of Bryden Johnson about the problems within the company. The company has a turnover of £1.5 million with a Board of five directors (shareholders). Board meetings had lapsed, communication was non-existent and the financial performance was patchy. Not surprisingly there were high stress levels in the business. The company was effectively functioning as 4 silos, with two directors in one area of the business and the remaining three each had a specific part of the business. Emotions were running high!

The Board of Directors then convened an ad hoc board meeting at which it was decided that things couldn't go on as they were, and a solution had to be found. The company was aware of our strategic planning work and asked us to run a strategic planning day for them. This was duly held off site in pleasant and stimulating surroundings well away from the distractions of the office.

The day started very frostily with a continuation of the office behaviour of nobody actually talking to anybody else and plenty of body language supporting the idea that everyone felt very insecure and unsure. Once we had facilitated some conversations about the business these proved to be icebreakers and the mood started to relax a little. Some genuine contributions started to be made. The process basically gives the owners and managers of the business an opportunity to articulate their vision and establish whether there is a consistency of approach and time in achieving this.

By the end of the day the Board had made huge movement towards starting to act like a cohesive unit again. An outline plan was produced, which has been stuck to in varying degrees in differing areas. The main point of the exercise though, is that an independent third party can facilitate serious discussions that generally speaking do not take place in most owner manager businesses. Through this process the owner managers start to feel more in control of their business and regain the energy to drive it.

Subsequently we have attended quarterly meetings on a regular basis and have seen the company go from strength to strength. The company has a very positive energetic feel about it now which is generated by the Directors themselves and it is no coincidence that the financial performance is far more in line with the positive mood of the business.