Case study:Achates develops Strategy: Shakespeare’s Globe

Achates has recently completed the first stage of a major project with culture and heritage organisation, Shakespeare’s Globe which represents a methodology we have implemented with a range of organisations, from the Donmar Warehouse to the Royal Literary Fund. This involves the creation of a shared decision making framework through a process of refreshing the purpose of the organisation (the work and the impact created with and for defined audiences or stakeholders) and having cohered staff and Board around these elements developing several operating models to realise them. Then by mapping the resulting financial models and carrying out an options analysis (including SWOT analyses as proposed) which evaluates the ability to realise the triple bottom line in full, making a recommendation as to the best way forwards.  

At Shakespeare’s Globe this process has included a number of World Café style workshops as more focused workshops with the Directorate, Senior Leadership Group and Board involving all of the staff team to listen to their own situation, develop their understanding of the current operating model and challenge aspiration. The result has been a clear refreshed organisational purpose that the Executive and Non-Executive teams are unified behind and which is re-energising the organisation whilst also having established a model which both creates enhanced impact and offers a resilient operating model through the commercial realisation of assets which also further the organisational purpose. The next stages of work focus on embedding impact evaluation and change management.

Referee: Stella Kanu, CEO, Shakespeare’s Globe