First Ascent Group

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Consultancy
Approach

Our consultancy expertise is centred on Strategic Alignment. This framework is based onto the fundamental assumptions that:

  • an organisation must orient itself to satisfy its market in a way that makes it easy for the market to work with the organisation
  • that strategy and culture dictate the essential practical manifestations of an organisation, as it deals with its market
  • that leaders hold responsibility to ensure that the organisation culture and strategy are aligned to the market
  • that the alignment stated above represents a continuous challenge for organisations as their markets evolve over time


We work with our clients in a practical, results oriented partnership, to understand your current degree of strategic alignment and design interventions aimed to support improved alignment in a prioritised and effective way.

Our framework is based on proven research and our work is founded on many years or front-line work by our team of experienced consultants.
 
Services

We offer the following services to our clients:

Diagnosis of Alignment

We utilise utilise our Strategic Alignment Diagnostic Questionnaire to identify the degree of alignment between your organisation and your market – this will identify any misalignment issues between your market conditions, your strategy, your organisation’s culture and your leadership style.

Strategy Development

If there is a misalignment between your market conditions and your strategy, we will recommend how to adjust your strategy to be more effective.

Managing Change

If there is misalignment between your strategy and your cultural norms and processes, we can assist you on the path to aligning cultural style to the strategy that will succeed in your market.

Leadership & Team Development

Once the market strategy and required cultural approach are understood, we help you develop key teams and individuals to exhibit an appropriate leadership style to succeed.

Organisational Resilience

Market conditions change over time. We will train you in keeping abreast of market conditions, such that you ensure organisational resilience through implementing appropriate processes, rather than reacting to changes in the market after they have happened.
 
Publications

You may like to read the following articles and books, that provide the background to our Strategic Alignment Framework. Some of these are authored by our Consulting Director, Dr Norman Chorn:

Books

  • Strategic Alignment (Norman Chorn), has received wide acclaim in the management and business press.

Articles 

  • The eight traits of corporate resilience: Insights from research into the building of corporate resilience, HR Monthly, November 2006
  • What does your Organisation Design say about your Strategy? Embark, February, 2006
  • Developing Strategic Capability Part 1, Australian Professional Marketing, July, 1996
  • Developing Strategic Capability Part 2, Australian Professional Marketing, August, 1996

Forthcoming Publications

Norman Chorn is currently researching his next book, Corporate Resilience.