Assess, align, design, implement, embed, improve

01

Assess

Understand how the company really runs before proposing anything.

We look at how priorities are set, who owns what, which numbers are reviewed and what happens in the meetings that matter. Most projects change shape at this stage, and it is cheaper to change them here.

Where this happens
Company OS·Fractional COO·Company scorecard template·Accountability matrix

Activities

• Interviews with the founder and leadership team
• Review of plans, dashboards and reporting
• Observation of key leadership meetings
• A short survey of managers where it is useful

Output
A clear reading of where execution breaks down.

02

Align

Get the leadership team to agree on what matters and who owns it.

Before anything is built, the leadership team agrees the few priorities that matter this year, how success will be measured and who owns each one. These are the decisions that are expensive to reverse later, so they are made explicitly and early.

Where this happens
OKRs·Change·OKR planning template·Quarterly planning template

Activities

• Leadership alignment workshop
• Agreement on the priorities for the year
• One named owner for each priority
• The principles the system has to respect

Output
Priorities and owners, agreed in writing.

03

Design

Turn the decisions into a concrete operating system.

Goals, KPIs, the scorecard, the meeting cadence and the rules for who decides what. Sized to the company you are, not copied from a much larger one, and tested with the people who will use it before it is fixed.

Where this happens
Company OS·KPIs·KPI dashboard template·Strategic roadmap template

Activities

• Goal and KPI definition
• Scorecard and dashboard design
• Meeting cadence and agendas
• Decision rights and escalation rules

Output
A complete first version of the system.

04

Implement

Put the system to work inside the company, with your team.

This is where most of the project happens. We set up the tools, run the first planning cycle with the leadership team and facilitate the first meetings until the format works. The system is used for real from the first weeks, not launched at the end.

Where this happens
OKRs·Leadership OS·90-day execution plan·RACI matrix template

Activities

• Tools and dashboards set up
• First quarterly planning cycle run together
• First weekly and monthly meetings facilitated
• Training for leaders and the internal owner

Output
The system running, used by the leadership team.

05

Embed

Make the routines hold without us in the room.

We step back gradually. The internal owner runs the meetings, the leadership team keeps the numbers up to date, and we observe, correct and coach. Almost every system needs a round of adjustment once it meets reality, and it is better done with us than without.

Where this happens
Leadership OS·Team OS·Weekly leadership meeting agenda·Monthly business review template

Activities

• Facilitation handed over to the internal owner
• Coaching for leaders on running the routines
• Adjustments based on real use
• The system and its rules documented

Output
A system in use, with a named internal owner.

06

Improve

Review the system on a fixed rhythm and keep it fit for the company.

A company that grows outgrows its routines. We set up a quarterly review of the system itself: what is working, what has become noise, and what the next stage of growth will need. The company leaves able to run that review on its own.

Where this happens
Fractional COO·Change·Quarterly business review template·Project prioritisation matrix

Activities

• A quarterly review of the system itself
• Retiring meetings and metrics that no longer help
• Adjusting the cadence to the next stage of growth
• An optional follow-up check-in

Output
A system the company can keep improving on its own.