STRATEGY
ISN’T HARD.

Cities should be beacons of hope for innovation and effective leadership.

That’s why we embed strategy as a core competency in small- to mid-sized cities and community-focused non-profits.

We give you the tools to facilitate, create, and execute strategy WITHOUT hiring expensive consultants and facilitators.

Centered around the fundamental questions of Why, What, and How, this framework empowers communities to effectively facilitate, develop, and execute strategic plans that deliver tangible public value – on their own!

This approach moves beyond generic corporate models to address the unique complexities and opportunities when working for the public good.

  • Facilitate

    Engaging Others for a Good Plan

    A good strategic plan is defined by its inclusivity and the genuine engagement of key stakeholders in its development.

  • Develop

    Distilling into a Great Plan

    A great strategic plan is one that is easy to understand and internalize by the whole organization.

  • Execute

    Creating Systems for the Best Plan

    The best strategic plan is one that is executed.

But wait… Don’t we need to hire an external facilitator?

There are a lot of gatekeepers out there who want to charge you tens of thousands of dollars to fly them into your community to lead you through this process.

What they don't tell you is that:

  • There is nothing mystical about strategic planning. With the right tools, anyone can do this, and do it well.

  • The most important part of strategy is to have one. We get so caught up in the supposed wizardry of strategy that we forget that it's just thoughtful choices about where to spend limited resources to create value.

  • While there are benefits to hiring a non-biased external facilitator, there are huge benefits to doing it in-house.

You know your organization, you know the players, you know the strengths and weaknesses.

But most importantly, by doing it yourself, you are more efficient and agile in the creation and execution of strategy. THIS isn't talked about enough!

We need to stop delaying and start doing. That's where we can help.

Facilitation Skills Assessment

You don't need to be a professional coach; you just need to be prepared. We've identified six skills for great facilitation, which you can assess in our online tool.

  • Active Listening

  • Clarity & Questioning

  • Time Management

  • Inclusivity

  • Conflict Resolution

  • Energy & Enthusiasm

Knowing your facilitation archetype is key. Our assessment helps you understand your natural style.

This self-awareness allows you to lean into your strengths, and we make suggestions on the archetypes that would make great co-facilitators.

We get it. Leading our
communities through
uncertainty is tough.

We face so many challenges today, and stagnation comes in many forms, from vacant warehouses and blight to struggling Main Streets and aging infrastructure.

At the end of the day, we're trying deliver the services our residents expect while becoming a community where: a.) all who live there are proud of it and b.) others want to be there.

Your organization needs purpose, a vision, and a plan to achieve it. That’s what we do.

Brandon Saurber

Who am I?

My name is Brandon, and I work for my favorite city on the planet…my hometown.

I have worked in strategy development and execution for the better part of my 15 year career in local government.

The lessons we’ve learned by applying visionary private sector strategy tools and the culture of a scrappy start-up can be found in the groundbreaking framework, WhyWhatHow.