We are often asked to facilitate meetings. The types and circumstances vary hugely. Here are some examples.

International boards

People from all over the world need to discuss the global positioning for a media network. They need to be guided to a mutually agreeable consensus.

A global digital network needs a new management structure and positioning. We design both over two days.

A communications network needs to agree the positioning for two worldwide brands. They need to judge their internal awards programme. And they need an inspirational speaker over dinner.

Board bonding

A major UK retailer needs to meet and take stock in a fast-moving market. We facilitate a two-day programme analyzing the market and using Greatest Hits as an intervention to update them on new business thinking. Two months later we follow up with the next level of 12 executives.

A major UK bank needs to gel a board of eight and add greater momentum to a challenger brand initiative. We use Greatest Hits to get into detail about what challenger behaviour really means. Two months later we expand the session with 20 next level executives.

A well-known film producer and distributor needs to resolve a sales issue. We gather a team of 20 for a meaty working session to analyse the problem. We whittle the issues into a manageable number, and preside over group work. Two weeks later we repeat and refine, to produce a recommendation for head office.

Conflict resolution

A major technology client is not getting on very well with its advertising agency. The session airs and resolves the issues to generate a better working relationship.

An international energy company has been through a period of consultation and the team members have all had to reapply for their jobs. This has caused confusion and put a strain on the working relationship with their media agency.

My Tick Achieve book and method were used to design a more productive relationship in both cases.

Client retention

A top-ten advertising agency wants to improve the quality of strategic thinking for itself and its clients. Sessions raise the latest and most helpful recent business and marketing thinking, and are applied to sectors as diverse as brewing and financial services. Their strategic standing rises as a result.

A research company wants to increase its sharpness with its clients. We mix intellectual thinking with training for better relationships and sales skills. The Greatest Hits books and method were used to generate fresh approaches.

Client-agency-media owner brainstorms

Everyone is looking for new ideas. New products, positionings, media partnerships, and much more. Exercises, preparatory work, group sessions, and plenty of energy make it happen. In one recent session with an agency, a media owner and a client, 21 workable collaboration ideas were generated in 3 hours.

A media agency needs rapid idea generation for a tight pitch deadline in insurance. We use stimulus and fast-paced facilitation to get the ideas out.

Newly-formed management teams

A new team at the head of a performance and data agency has only worked together for a few months and it’s time to get the plan together. A media agency wants to start the year with a bang. An innovation agency wants its global sales team to pull together more consistently.

The leadership team of a media agency is not taking enough collective responsibility. Over two days we thrash out the reasons and set more wide-ranging objectives for the next year. The agency doubles in size by the end of the year.

Methods are drawn variously from books including Small Business Survival and So What? to inspire, motivate, and crystallize effort.

New business brainstorms

An agency needs new ideas for a prospective client. We plan the pitch, the stalking approach, the chemistry session. When through to the next round, we generate creative concepts and write the strategic story.

Greatest Hits delivers a minimum of one idea per person per book. A typical session with 6-10 people and 6-10 books therefore generates 50-100 ideas for immediate action.