Sullivan & Stanley

Last night, we brought 'The Mission is Everything to Manchester', and what an incredible evening it was! With senior executives from across the region joining us at the Everyman Cinema, the event was filled with thought-provoking insights, engaging discussions and actionable strategies to transform operating models through mission-based working. A huge thank you to our brilliant speakers, including: 🔶 Olympic gold medalist Greg Searle MBE, who inspired us with lessons on psychological safety, innovation through marginal gains and the power of a shared mission. 🔶 Adrian Stalham, Chief Change Officer at Sullivan & Stanley, who shared the practical framework for mission-based working and how it delivers value in just 90 days. 🔶 Our panelists Ed Kamm and Harry Eatough, who provided real-world examples of transformation and invaluable advice on overcoming challenges. 🔶 And our MC for the evening, Oliver Bradley. Some key takeaways… 1️⃣ Traditional operating models are falling short—mission-based working empowers teams to focus on outcomes, not just solutions. 2️⃣ Psychological safety is essential for innovation—great leaders create environments where teams can take risks and succeed. 3️⃣ Cross-functional collaboration is the secret to unlocking faster delivery and greater impact. 4️⃣ Transformation isn’t just a methodology—it’s a mindset shift that fosters ownership, engagement and sustainable value. Thanks to everybody who came. The feedback from attendees has been fantastic and it was great to see so many of you enjoying the discussions, networking, and (of course) a drink or two afterwards! Stay tuned for the full blog, where we’ll dive deeper into the insights and strategies shared during the event. #MissionIsEverything #Transformation #Leadership #MissionBasedWorking #Innovation #BusinessTransformation

In today's dynamic business environment, building the right teams is critical for transformation success. That's why we've partnered with Carnegie Mellon University to decode the science of collective intelligence. The result is MissionHub.ai—our proprietary platform that's revolutionising how organisations build and optimise teams. Our research shows the optimal team needs the ‘Goldilocks’ level of diversity—not too similar (leading to consensus-based decisions), not too different (creating high-challenge environments). MissionHub.ai analyses millions of potential combinations to find this sweet spot, ensuring teams are perfectly balanced for your specific mission. Want to learn more about how we're using AI and collective intelligence to transform team building? Read our latest insights on unlocking team potential: https://lnkd.in/gwWxnuhn #FutureOfWork #TeamPerformance #BusinessTransformation #Innovation #MissionBasedWorking

Experience the buzz from our Change Society Summit through the eyes of our speakers and Change Society associates. From energising conversations and connections at the bar to inspiring testimonials on stage, the room was alive with possibility as our community came together to share their transformation journeys. Watch the highlights to hear: 🔶 Why stepping out of traditional roles opens doors you never knew existed 🔶 How our Change Society associates are turning client challenges into transformation gold 🔶 What makes diverse teams truly excel (hint: it starts with trust) A massive thank you to our Community Engagement Manager Sofia Mutafchieva for your hard work and making the summit possible. See what made the evening so special: #Consulting #ChangeManagement #PortfolioCareers #FutureOfWork #Leadership

At Sullivan & Stanley, our commitment to being a Business for Good means creating positive impact in our communities. Our partnership with Access Sport exemplifies this mission, working together to make inclusion the norm in community sport. 2024 has been an incredible year of collaboration. From our team members running the Half Marathon to raise funds, to hosting Olympic Champion and Access Sport ambassador Greg Searle MBE at our "The Mission is Everything" event, we've seen firsthand how sport can transform lives and communities. Last week, we were honoured to attend Access Sport's 20th Anniversary Gala dinner - a powerful reminder of their two decades of life-changing work. The evening, hosted by Mark Foster and Kate Richardson-Walsh OBE, brought together Olympic and Paralympic athletes, community sport clubs and corporate partners united in the mission to make sport accessible to all. We're thrilled that the event raised an impressive £80,000, bringing Access Sport closer to their £100,000 target. We're proud that our partnership goes beyond traditional corporate giving - it's about creating sustainable impact and inspiring positive change. As Julia Wright says, "Together, we can make inclusion the norm in community sport." Want to join us in making a difference? Learn more about Access Sport's transformative work and how you can contribute: https://lnkd.in/e27Etkw2 #BusinessForGood #CommunityImpact #StandForInclusion #SocialImpact #SportForAll Thomas Dixon Amy de Broise

Sometimes the best insights come from the most candid conversations. That's exactly what happened when Ed Kamm shared the Shell Energy Retail transformation story at our Manchester event. It wasn't a polished case study. It was real, honest, and deeply relatable. Ed kicked off with a truth that resonated across the room: "We had great people, we had great ideas, we knew what we needed to work on, but we weren't capable of delivering. Our operating model was broken." The journey they shared was fascinating: The Starting Point 🔶 Being part of Shell, they had "big consultants" proposing "40-50 million pound projects"  🔶 Projects were "over budget" and "beyond timelines"  🔶 Impact wasn't there—"we kind of lost the customer through that"  🔶 Traditional approaches falling short The Turning Point: When one employee suggested Sullivan & Stanley and mission-based working, introducing the "90-day glass tube" concept—"something small, something manageable, something provable." The Mission-Based Impact 🔶 Teams empowered with clear outcomes  🔶 Right people paired on focused missions  🔶 Cultural transformation emerging  🔶 "The most impactful transformation I've ever been involved with in my career" Harry Eatough then added another layer of insight, showing how theory becomes reality when you have the right approach. The practical examples had everyone nodding in recognition—these are challenges we've all faced. More conversations like this coming soon... #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfWork #ChangeManagement #Leadership #Innovation #BusinessStrategy #TransformationSuccess #MissionBasedWorking #Consulting 

"The Mission is Everything" isn't just an event title—it's the philosophy behind every successful transformation we've delivered. In November, our Chief Change Officer Adrian Stalham revealed the framework that's revolutionising how organisations deliver change: 🔶 The power of 90 days: Ever noticed how the best transformations have a natural rhythm? Adrian shared how 90-day cycles create this perfect balance of urgency and depth. As one attendee put it, "We've all worked too many times on projects where you have a start, you do some stuff, you meet every week and drive it, but actually you're going after the wrong goal." 🔶 Deep & narrow focus: We dove into why specialised teams often crack challenges that have stumped entire organisations. As Adrian explained, "We go deep and narrow with one team... and in 90 days we can usually get quite a high level of maturity and generate true value." 🔶 Measurable impact: Numbers tell stories, and Adrian demonstrated this through real results proven by success across retailers, legal systems, and more: "We make it truly visible across the organisation... It really does work and the team get behind it."   What made the evening special wasn't just the content—it was the audience recognising a common challenge: traditional operating models are struggling to keep pace with change.     While others talk about change, we're delivering it. Our mission-based working approach combines the best of agile methodologies with deep organisational psychology and practical experience.    Want to learn more about mission-based working? Watch this space—plenty more insights coming soon.    #MissionBasedWorking #BusinessTransformation #OrganisationalChange 

Catch up on November's edition of The Pulse! 🍊 From Olympic gold medallist Greg Searle's mission-based insights to our game-changing MissionHub.ai platform, we're exploring what drives excellence in transformation. Join our Women in Transformation community as they reshape agile practices, discover how Service as Software is revolutionising consulting, and meet our newest Team Orange member, Becca Abrahams! Subscribe today to stay up to date on all things change and transformation. #BusinessTransformation #Innovation #MissionBasedWorking #ServiceAsSoftware #WomenInTech #DigitalTransformation

At our Mission is Everything event in November, Olympic champion Greg Searle MBE revealed the surprising connection between Olympic success and business transformation, drawing parallels between Team GB's transformation and the challenges organisations face today.    The same principles that transformed British rowing from occasional winners to consistent Olympic champions are exactly what organisations need today. Missed this exclusive insight? Here's what our attendees learned was the cornerstone of team success:    🔶 Creating environments where real conversations happen naturally   🔶 Building trust that enables innovation and experimentation   🔶 Establishing feedback cultures that drive continuous improvement   🔶 Uniting diverse talents around a shared mission    Just as Team GB's success wasn't achieved through quick fixes but through systematic culture change, sustainable business transformation requires the right environment, mindset, and mission. This is exactly what we love about these evenings—bringing together perspectives from different worlds and discovering those universal truths about how people and organisations thrive.    At Sullivan & Stanley, we've built our mission-based working approach on these proven principles of high performance. We've seen firsthand how organisations transform when they create the right environment for change.    More brilliant conversations coming soon! Keep an eye on our updates for the next event.    #TransformationalLeadership #MissionBasedWorking #BusinessTransformation 

Really excited to share my thoughts on Jaguar's recent rebrand in Management Today. While the new direction has certainly divided opinion, I believe it's too early to write off what could be a pivotal moment in the brand's transformation journey. As I discuss in the article, rebranding isn't a simple process—it requires careful strategy and often involves challenging established perceptions. Looking at successful rebrands like Burberry and Hunter, it's clear that initial reactions don't always tell the full story. What matters most is the long-term vision and execution. The real test for Jaguar will be what comes next. The brand is making bold moves as it transitions to an all-electric future, and this rebrand is just one piece of a much larger transformation story. One thing's for sure—Jaguar has got people talking again. And sometimes, that's exactly what a brand needs to spark its next chapter. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eTfTHm5C What do you think about Jaguar's new direction? Would love to hear your thoughts. #Branding #Transformation #AutomotiveIndustry #BusinessStrategy

What does it take to build high-performing teams that drive sustainable transformation? At our Change Society Summit last week, over 50 senior associates gathered to tackle this question. Here are some of the key insights that emerged: 🔶 The Power of adaptive communication: DISC assessments reveal a striking truth: diverse teams, with their different communication styles, may take longer to find their rhythm—but when they do, they outperform the rest. 🔶 Mission-Based Working in action: Members of our Change Society shared a powerful story of transformation at a leading travel organisation. Their approach? Skip the boardroom and get real data from the ground. As one CFO noted: "This has been eye-opening. I've learned so much about my organisation that I didn't know happened." 🔶 Portfolio careers: Our portfolio careers panel brought inspiring insights from the frontlines of the future of work. Their message was clear—when you align your expertise with what matters most to you, the impact ripples across organisations. Read the full story of how our community is shaping the future of work: https://lnkd.in/enNpkvGz Want to explore how our change-makers can help drive lasting impact in your organisation? Let's talk. #FutureOfWork #ChangeManagement #BusinessTransformation #PortfolioCareers #MissionBasedWorking #Leadership