2023

If a single word were required to define 2022, it would be “unstable”.

Whilst there were suggestions of a new normal as Covid moves towards endemic state, few will have anticipated the extent of instability that we are now experiencing. In the interests of brevity, I’ll avoid listing the ever growing list of catch phrases used to describe the various events that characterise. Suffice to state that the list is long and growing. Our shared challenge is to understand how to navigate the instability to achieve sustainable contentment.

There are a number of reference points that I believe are helpful in charting the course:

1. Think about your world in relative terms. In turbulent times market share is a more worthy indicator of well-being than is revenue growth.

2. Value and build upon relationships founded upon trust and respect. These relationships are more reliable, thereby providing a safer haven through which to collaborate, share experience and ultimately acquire the new knowledge and information that might aid with navigation through difficult times.

3. Never sacrifice your values. Whilst it can be tempting to leap towards anything that might offer comfort and support when trading conditions become difficult, this should never be at the expenses of those things that define you. Sustainable contentment can only be achieved by being who you are and protecting what that means for yourself and others, every day.

Whilst my wish for everyone is a period of stability, my sense is that this is unlikely to happen in the near term i.e. during 2023. I therefore wish everyone the strength to recognise where they are, surround themselves with people that they trust and stick to the behaviours that define how they wish to live.

2022

We learn more from adversity than stability.

If the above is true, many will emerge from 2021 with greater wisdom than they had when the year began.

Faced with the above, I challenged myself to think about the learning from 2021 and how that might best be applied going forward. Among my key takeaways are the following:

• strategy is about HOW rather than WHAT. There are many examples in the public domain of so-called “strategic plans” being articulated as a series of ambitions. Absence of detail on how these wishes might be achieved renders them useless.

• data doesn’t lie - but setting aside context, using inappropriate means of generating data, and being selective with the data that is drawn upon, distorts reality and leads to poor decision-making.

• popular opinion shouldn’t suppress the minority view, particularly when tackling complex problems. If the 2008 financial crisis taught the world anything, it is that the majority view CAN BE wrong. There must be a place within all situations for conflicting views to be aired and examined. Respect for a diversity of opinion allows for consideration of a wider range of possibilities and better supports risk management and effective decision-making.

As regards applying this learning RML will double down on its commitment to:

• support our customers to define strategy that clearly establishes HOW they will achieve their ambitions

• ensure that all decision-making that we support is cognisant of context and under-pinned by data that has been appropriately collected and is suitable for the purpose

• ensure that all opinions are respected, that time is taken to understand the basis of the opinion and that constructive debate takes place to rationalise to a consensual conclusion

We trust that by upholding these commitments our clients will be among those that benefit from the adversity of 2021.

2021

Thought provoking…..that’s how I’d sum up the events of 2020. That might seem a like an understatement given the loss of life years, economic damage and unprecedented restrictions that we have experienced. However, one consequence of the volatility for many of us has been the opportunity to pause, reflect, challenge our role in the world and reset what we want from life. It has also provided the opportunity to reflect upon the world that surrounds us, with perhaps greatest attention being given to our natural environment and how the big decisions are made that impact on all of our lives. One thing that is clear is that change has become our norm and that the need for resilience and agility has never been greater to prepare for and tackle the challenges of “regression to the tail” in whatever form they take. A key question that we have been asking ourselves at RML is “what does this mean for strategy?”

Our conclusion is that the need for strategic thinking has never been greater. Whilst commercial risk might seem more acute and timescales shortened, the disciplines of goal setting, assessment of strategic options and implications, planning, implementation and performance management remain relevant as we move forward.

2020 has evidenced where the absence of strategic thinking creates chaos. It is against this backdrop that we are ever more convinced about the significance of what we do. We very much look forward to 2021 and the contribution that we hope to make in aiding progressive organisations achieve their ambitions.

2020

With a new decade just about to happen, it seems like the right time to set down a few words that reflect our experience during the 2010s. It has been a busy, enlightening and inspiring time. During the period we have worked with, and sought to add value to very many organisations. Whilst operating across a wide range of market sectors and at varying stages in their journey, they shared a common goal - to enhance performance. Our response was to deliver tailored advice and support, founded upon our commitment to listen and understand their circumstances. Moreover, we sought to add value to our support by introducing tools that support the process of strategy design and implementation. Going forward we will continue to seek out the best in class thinking, methods and tools that enhance what we do.

One of the recurring challenges that we face is articulating the value of the services that we provide. Our support offerings are intangible, with evidence of impact often taking time to reveal itself. It is therefore gratifying when customers re-connect to share their positive news and acknowledge the contribution made by RML, often some time after an assignment has been completed. During the 2010s we have received a consistent stream of acknowledgements. Indeed, the past year has seen three of our customers exit their businesses, achieving lifelong ambitions to create value, grow and then realise significant benefits for their shareholders.

As well as supporting our customers to develop, we have continued to provide some space within which RML might grow. We have learned a great deal during the past decade. Of greatest importance is the significance of our commitment to our values. So whilst some things might change within the 2020s, we will remain true as we always have to our values. At RML we will never waiver from our commitment to Integrity. With that foundation, we are both excited and optimistic that the 2020s will be even more successful than the decade just about to end.

2019

It seems like such a short time ago that I made the last of my contributions to this news page. What was a busy 2017, became an even busier 2018.

We have continued to lead the charge to introduce Cascade - the market leading, cloud-based, strategy implementation management software - to the UK and Irish markets. In addition to our business users, we introduced representative associations to our user community during 2018, and experienced growing interest from the academic sector. Whilst it has taken longer than anticipated to convince our addressable markets of the benefits to be derived from active strategy performance management, there are signs that this is becoming better understood, and that there is a growing appetite to secure the benefits enjoyed by the large and growing user communities in the US and Asia.

Alongside the deployment of Cascade, we have actively supported the strategy design requirements of a number of private clients. In addition, we have fulfilled interim management roles in the oil and gas and electronics sectors, specifically in the areas of operational and sales leadership.

The outlook for 2019 is extremely exciting. We look forward to enjoying another successful year.

2018

2017 was another very busy year at RML and one that marked a step-change in our capability.  The introduction of the Cascade software platform to our portfolio provides us with unparalleled capability to support our clients, not only through the strategy design phase, but also during implementation.  Early adopters of our new proposition were secured during the last quarter, and a significant opportunity pipeline established.  We look forward to introducing many more users to the platform throughout 2018.

2017 also saw RML work on a wide range of "business building" initiatives.  Notable among them were "Blue Ocean" initiatives within the oil and gas, and education sectors.  2018 will be an exciting year for both ventures.

Finally, our NXD and board advisory portfolio continues to grow, supplementing our project work within both public and private sectors.  We very much look forward to continuing the journey with our valued clients during 2018.

RML launches Cascade partnership

RML is delighted to announce its partnership with Cascade, the market leading provider of strategy implementation management software tools.  Ross and Sean have recently returned from Australia and, having gone through intensive systems training, have been appointed by Cascade to promote and deploy their software tool within the UK and Europe.  We are very much looking forward to introducing this to the many companies and organisations that we have worked with over the years, and to meeting many new customers that we might support to take advantage of this fantastic new facility.

Enterprise Screen - commitment rewarded

One of the key barriers to successful international market entry and development is the ability to satisfy the minimum viable commitment.  We define this as the inflexion point at which a venture begins to generate positive cash flow.  In our experience the commitment (time and cash) required to achieve this is almost always under-estimated.  However, when the commitment is made, the rewards can be significant.  Enterprise Screen, the Glasgow-based video communications company, has grown by a third following implementation of an international development strategy defined during a workshop facilitated by RML.  The company's response to the minimal viable commitment challenge has led to it acquiring a growing number of strategically significant US accounts and establishing two offices within the territory.

£1 billion Brewdog

I was delighted to read in the media today that James and Martin have achieved the remarkable milestone of a £1 billion valuation following the introduction of investment from TSG Consumer Partners.  I had the privilege of undertaking a strategy workshop with them both, almost nine years ago to the day, during which we explored the options and implications for the growth of their venture, and identified the development priorities relevant to that stage in their journey.  I was struck at the time by their conviction and marketing "bravery".  It is truly inspirational that they have gone on to become one of Scotland's great success stories.  

2017

With each new year there is motivation to reflect on the year gone by and the new one ahead.  2016 proved to be another very busy year for RML.  We have continued to deliver the strategy workshop framework for Scottish Enterprise, as well as supporting PA Consulting with their framework commitment to HIE.  We have also completed commissions for a number of local authorities, most notably North Ayrshire Council.  In addition, we delivered more private commissions over the course of the year than ever, reflecting increasing interest in RML's operational support, mentoring and non-executive director offerings.

2017 will no doubt bring fresh opportunities and challenges for RML and its customers.  Whilst the outlook across many fronts is uncertain, we are excited at the prospect of meeting more interesting people and engaging with challenging assignments.  Throughout we will continue to provoke thought and support wealth creation.

Best wishes to all for 2017