It is always our preference to keep our trusted contacts informed – rather than sell. BUT it has also become clear that we have not updated our allies with our emerging offer to meet challenge of 2010! With BA, Royal Mail disputes, along with the absurd threat of public sector strike action due to proposed cuts their redundancy pay averaging c£250k! It has never been more important to achieve the paradox – build rather than destroy value during change. Whilst tough calls set change boundaries a program should be a vast motivating opportunity to build value – difference vs. conflict – is in how you do it.
The business environment
There are some good companies amongst the 85% of companies requiring an IP (Times quote A. Sugar). These crises arise as a consequence of management skills gaps; requiring external investment, supported by interim management & external sources of funding to create and deliver the plan (we have become ideal vehicle for this!)
Cash crises are arising due to inflexible extended supply chains & fallen revenues. There is a strong future for strong regional manufacturing, better designed supply chains, and growing revenue into parallel sectors
10 years ahead of plan – The Chinese are coming – major corporates still lack and squander diversity. This limits agility and global growth; made worse by monolithic structures, change programs that destroy value.
Public sector – in denial and completely broken – as there is no appetite to address the issues, we see the public sector as a waste of time getting involved, or the ultimate executive coaching challenge – UK plc!
Banks are acting erratically – (in fairness to date! there has been no solution to handle / depart troubled investments)
The icebreaker offer & (reality)
Bank offer – initial documented review of issues and solution, IBR light, DD, bank departure options, implementation (we find from many sources – whilst there are some hero’s – very few banks in fact have the courage or knowledge to act)
VC offer – telephone review, issues and outcome, investor exit plan, detailed joint DD, implementation and NED support (huge choice of investments – proposition has to be good, VCs often have a restricted view of resourcing their investments)
Corporate offer – initial documented review; change management support e.g. covering; supply chain and or commercial model, additional funding options, outcome, business model challenge, management capability review, interim management support. (The focus on a stereotypical square pegs fit with square holes fit squanders the opportunity)
Management and team capability development – initial documented review, executive coaching / change management course developing a team & leaving a legacy (we expect to run this course for another corporate client in May)
Icebreaker accredited business support;
Interim management; accredited interim manager, peer reviewed, team based (we are growing to a team of 30)
Building value during a change program “2 day icebreaker course developed with a leading business school & CEO GB”
Icebreaker accredited CEO & NED support – (we have a pool of accredited 10 proven entrepreneurial CEOs)
Interim FD and FC support – through Mazars and our collaborative partners
Business growth based on facts; parallel growth opportunities, business model benchmarking – market hard facts SMT
Financial restructuring & supplying professional directors to manage solvent liquidations and CVAs – Bridge, PDT
VC Investment turnaround / growth – via selected VCs / Mazars
As we are committed to the same aim – we’ve lowered the bar – the items in italics we are willing to put of our fees at risk. All of our programs are signed off by management and key stakeholders, typically at a fixed cost and fixed targets as we’ve done it before. Our main recent successes have been delivered by getting diverse professionals working together and a couple of weeks ago I am pleased to say we put of first backed offer to turnaround a business with one of our chosen VCs.
Thank you. I welcome your thoughts.
Tom Pickering CEO, E: office@icebreakerexecutive.com T: 0207 193 5518 .