Organisational consultancy
Consultancy that brings your organisation together for what comes next
When something needs to change across the whole organisation, it helps to have someone alongside you. I work with your leaders and your people to understand what's going on, and to change it together.
What would you like to change?
Getting clear on why you exist, where you're going, and how that shows up day to day.
How you're organised, and how work flows.
- Post-merger integrationBringing two ways of working, and two cultures, together.
- RestructuringA new structure, and the new ways of working that help it succeed.
- Operational effectivenessWork that flows well, from the processes to the habits underneath.
- Organisational designAn organisation shaped around the difference you want to make.
Getting through change, and keeping your people growing.
- Change managementChange that takes root, because people understand it and feel part of it.
- Employee experienceWhat it feels like to work here, and how to make it better.
- Capacity buildingSkills that grow, spread and renew across the whole organisation.
- Organisational developmentGetting better, built into how things work every day.
Delivering well for the people you serve.
Joining the dots: Real change rarely stays in one place
A merger is never only about structure - it's culture and people too, all at once. That's why the four areas are drawn connected, and why much of the work is joining them up, so the whole organisation pulls in the same direction.
Culture change in social housingTwo of London's largest housing associations becoming one: 66,000 homes, two cultures, and the question of how to build something shared.
Read the case study →
Organisational alignment during restructuringA global payments company preparing for independence, with six departments that had never needed to work as one.
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Charity culture changeA community trust whose sports, housing and arts teams ran as different organisations to the person walking through the door.
Read the case study →
How we work together
A first conversation
About what's going on, what you'd like to change, and whether we're a good fit.
Understanding what's happening
Listening across the organisation, so we work on what's causing things, not just what shows on the surface.
Working alongside you
I work with your leaders and your people, not around them. The changes are made together.
Leaving you stronger
The aim is that you can carry the work on without me.
What people said
It's been a game changer for us. A lot more emphasis on the people side of the change. Stakeholder involvement in selection of strategic options and co-design at the very beginning is becoming the norm. As a by-product I do think the team are happier in their work as things are becoming less adversarial.
“He brings a clear passion for people-centred change, pushing not just for beautifully designed processes that suit a leader's needs and agenda, but helping to ensure an empathetic change experience for a whole organisation. This is often the part of change that is missed.”
Chief executive, a charity
Some of the organisations I've worked with
Free tools to try
More than 60 models and frameworks in our free tools library, most with a template you can use straight away.
Questions people ask
What kind of consultancy is it?
Hands-on. I'm in the room with your leaders and your people, getting stuck in rather than advising from the side. You get help making the change, as well as advice on what to change.
Will you work with our leaders or our wider team?
Both, and everyone in between. Leaders set the direction, and the people closest to the work usually know best how it could be better. So I work across every level, and the people who will live with a change help shape it.
Do you come with a set method?
No. Every organisation starts somewhere different, so the work is built around what's really going on. I'll bring models and frameworks when they help, and leave them out when they don't.
What's left when you've gone?
The thinking, the tools and the confidence stay with your people. If it only works while I'm in the building, it didn't work.
We're not sure what's wrong. Where do we start?
Start with a conversation. Most organisations span more than one area, and working out where to focus is part of the work. If it helps, States of Vitality, our organisation-wide survey, can show you where you're strong and where you're struggling.
Who do you work with?
Leaders taking their organisation somewhere new, in organisations of every size across the public, private and charity sectors.
Is it in person or online?
Both. Most work mixes time together in person, anywhere in the UK, with online sessions in between.
How do we get started?
Get in touch and tell me what's going on. We'll talk it through and work out where to begin.
James Freeman-Gray
Who you'll work with
You'll find me in the room rather than at the side of it - facilitating, designing with your people, and bringing the kind of energy that makes serious work feel lighter.
I lead every piece of work myself, from the first conversation to the handover, with senior associates alongside when the work needs more hands.