The development of a winning business strategy can be challenging. It is the basis for aligning people, resources, and profitability - but the skills necessary to create the strategy can be elusive. Award-winning strategists need to be one part leader, one part analyst, and one part futurist. At Stonehill, we always admire individuals in our profession that do great work. Here are a few of the top strategy consultants that you may want to follow on LinkedIn.

As you may already know, the only constant in running a business is that of change. Many of the strategies and tactics that we discuss provide insight to that change and give an operator the ability to react and manage the outcomes. Although this is an active process, once a year it is important to slow down and do some strategic planning.

A great culture doesn’t just happen; it must be planned, taught, nurtured, and encouraged. Your culture is formed by how people work together, connect, interact, and socialize. You can unlock passion and potential when you enable real bonds among your team, and build a culture of positivity, trust, kindness, and respect. Here are seven ideas to help you establish and develop a great culture.

John Staten is the President and Chief Operations Officer of Holiday Inn Club Vacations. Recently, Stonehill spoke with John Staten, President and COO of Holiday Inn Club Vacations, as part of our Voyagers and Visionaries interview series. We interview leaders from various industries to get both professional and personal insights during this challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

An onboarding playbook focuses acutely on organizational realignment, process and systems integration, synergy tracking, and product/service and customer realignment. Stonehill has adapted the traditional onboarding playbook by utilizing Design Thinking to create a unique approach to an effective post-merger integration (PMI) plan. And to no surprise, it all starts with empathy.

As part of our Voyagers and Visionaries interview series, Stonehill recently spoke with Paul Reilly about his professional and personal insights on the Future of Work, innovation in the financial services industry, and adjustments in his style of management due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul Reilly is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Raymond James Financial. 

Corey Neil serves as President and Chief Operating Officer at The Bank of Tampa. In this interview, Mr. Neil discusses his views on the future of work, the state of banking, and pragmatic business decisions every leader should evaluate, both in times of uncertainty and stability.

Dr. Christopher R. Shafer is the Director of Program Management with Quest Diagnostics, a Fortune 500 Company, and leader in the laboratory and medical diagnostics space. In this interview, Dr. Shafer discusses his views on the future of work, the state of public health, and pragmatic business decisions every leader should evaluate, both in times of uncertainty and of stability.

As we look to the future one thing is certain – the economy will continue and we will adapt to the new surroundings. Impacts to businesses are becoming clear and leaders are starting to identify initiatives to ensure profitability. Regardless of the industry, it is obvious that the future of work is more than just having people work from home and collaborating online.

Generally following a crisis, our fellow human beings have a lot of patience and empathy when things do not operate as smoothly as they once did. If you own or operate a business, the following are just a few of the questions you should expect to address in the coming weeks and months to prepare to return to delivering great customer experience (CX) and employee engagement (EE).

Design Thinking is a formal process that allows for the creation of practical, innovative, and cost-effective resolutions that enhance the customer experience. Many change management, technology, and transformation professionals have been adopting Design Thinking concepts to accelerate change in large organizations. Here are a few Design Thinking thought leaders that you should follow on LinkedIn.

For organizations that need long-term volunteers, the overwhelming desire to make a positive impact to a cause that’s meaningful is generally the primary driver for a volunteer. But does the organization make it easy and enjoyable to participate or are there a lot of barriers that can frustrate volunteers?

Over the last several years companies have invested a significant number of dollars in big data projects. Depending on the organization the projects are started in a variety of ways. Some companies want to become more innovative and provide a wide-reaching goal, some want to adopt artificial intelligence and see big data as a foundational element, and some just want to better understand their business and customers.

Over the last few years, the business environment has changed. Businesses are adopting new technologies, processes, and ideas faster than ever before. In order to stay competitive, leaders must keep up with their customer expectations and the latest innovations within the market.

As an industry, healthcare is committed to providing expert care with as much certainty in outcomes as humanly possible. Millions of dollars are invested each year to create “zero-error” environments, precision medicine, and other equitable practice measures. Yet, how does an organization in an industry that relies on certainty and precision, navigate uncertainty and instability in the marketplace? The answer is seemingly simple: Precision in Decision.

The Stonehill strategic communications team sat down with Teddi Barber to discuss the disruption in healthcare and how leveraging Design Thinking can establish a sustainable and thought-provoking dialog on its impacts on mature industries.

Joe Smiley is a respected design leader, team-builder, and innovative technologist with over 20 years of experience designing and developing experiences for many Fortune 500 brands – including E*TRADE, PwC, Marriott, AOL, Disney, FedEx, Strayer University, and Sysco Food – as well as numerous government agencies and non-profits.

Bob Johnston is the CEO and chairman of the board of directors for Front Burner, a franchise management company headquartered in Tampa, Florida. In this interview, Johnston discusses what it takes to run a successful restaurant franchise and how to reinvent it in a competitive market.

Growing up in the 80s was an incredible experience. I spent countless hours watching movies on HBO and the VCR. I recently had the chance to reflect on these movies and how fundamental they were in preparing me for my business career. Here are seven business lessons I learned from 80s classics while I rocked acid wash jeans, a coca-cola rugby shirt, and a swatch watch.

In this interview, Dr. Beers discusses her experience first working on the consumer side of Wells Fargo and now on the business-to-business division. There she leads a team that develops user-centered digital solutions and design thinking processes. Her team facilitates design thinking workshops that help navigate the complexity of business and align business strategies with customers’ true needs and perceptions. She is a frequent presenter at customer experience, customer insight, and service–design conferences.