Consulting
Strategic Direction and Planning
Berkshire Group, Inc. has a proven track record of helping organizations develop or clarify their vision and purpose and then, mobilizing energy toward that vision and purpose. Our focus is not so much on the document of the plan as it is on facilitating the group of people that need to create and own the vision, the direction and the execution of their plan. Our strength is in facilitating the process that develops ownership, energy and accountability. Similar to our process for Continuous Improvement, we assure that the right people are in the room for the discussions, that they feel heard and understood. We follow a process which includes understanding current state, then desired future and finally prioritized action plans that will result in execution and success of the strategic plan.We have a respected reputation for facilitating diverse groups through half or full day events. As a result, boards, executives, teams and organization leaders move forward with:
- A shared understanding of current state
- A clear vision of the desired future
- Clear actions to take to achieve the vision
- Ownership of the plan as well as the associated steps
Continuous Improvement
Change is one of life’s only constants. Rather than fear what the future holds, we help empower companies to enthusiastically embrace change and use it to their advantage. We begin by working with the appropriate leadership team to identify strategically significant improvement opportunities. If a strategic plan exists, this can help in the selection. If not, we can facilitate a process to identify critical improvement opportunities. By definition, these are issues that matter to the business.
Our approach to Continuous Improvement places a premium on individual commitment, accountability and the willingness to take personal responsibility for one’s own actions. Our assumption is that people are basically good and they desire an environment in which they can make meaningful contributions to important work. This approach requires leaders who are present with guidance, help and support while allowing for and expecting individuals to take responsibility.
An Approach that provides the necessary skills – The skills required to drive this environment or change are not very complicated, but people were not born with them, they were not taught in school, nor in most cases have they been provided in the workplace. We work to create a desire for training and education among those who genuinely want to learn because they see an approach, skill set and techniques that really work.
- Continuous Improvement as a means to accomplishing strategically-significant objectives that improve the bottom line, service to your customers, and the environment for your employees.
- Appropriate Involvement – We emphasize a high-involvement, team-oriented approach to continuous improvement, involving the right people, engaged in the right places, at the right time.
- A Process Focus – Problems and opportunities come primarily from the processes, systems, and structures provided for people to work with.
- Data-based, Data-Driven – Our approach emphasizes Key Performance Measures as a critical element of a continuous improvement environment. It stresses objective, relevant data on which to base your decisions and actions.
- Structured Improvement Activities – We believe that regardless the topic, industry, or effort, the approach needs to be well defined. This ensures that valuable resources are well spent and that our improvement process is effective. The approaches are designed to ensure that the fundamentals we are outlining here are integrated in any work that is done.
Facilitation Services
Almost every organization could use the help of an outside facilitator at some point. The job of a facilitator is to objectively help a group or groups navigate through a process. The process may be to form a strategic plan, reach consensus on a multi-faceted issue, resolve a sensitive issue with stake holders or provide direction for a group that requires a non-biased leader at the helm.Our thirty years of experience in facilitating groups of all sizes, from many different industries, government organizations and non-profits, enables us to provide a rewarding and valuable service when professional and effective facilitation is what your organization needs.
Contact us when:
- A challenging or difficult discussion needs to take place among stakeholders and a neutral hand is needed to move the discussion forward to a productive end.
- Fresh ideas need to be combined with expertise and experience in forming or updating a strategic plan, drawing the best from the entire group.
- Sensitive or complex problems need to be solved that will have a significant impact on every member of the group