Setting Solid Foundations with Boutique Healthcare Entrepreneurs

“Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals.” - Jim Rohn

Client Context  

• Fast-expanding, entrepreneurial healthcare business 

• Four clinics based in Southeast Queensland  

• Telos engaged by Founder/CEO 

Presenting issue   

During initial discussions with the Founder and Directors, we explored the challenges of rapid growth, and the need for setting solid business foundations to support the organisation’s significant expansion plans. Although originally engaged to conduct a review of the company’s organisational design, it became apparent that their business strategy was not yet sufficiently clear to allow for the design of an optimally supportive organisational structure. It was therefore agreed that we would go back to foundational principles and formulate a clear Strategic Framework, including a strategically aligned Purpose Statement, Strategic Priorities, and an action-oriented business plan prior to reviewing organisational structure and role clarity.  

Our Approach:  

With the objective of solidifying strong strategic foundations for our client in mind, we led two half-day workshops with the company’s Founders, Directors, and Operations Manager(?). During these workshops, a series of interactive and collaborative exercises were undertaken to understand: 

• The current and future state of relevant external factors with the potential to impact on strategy and growth plans; 

• Existing internal forces that were currently driving or obstructing the organisation’s success and effectiveness; and, 

• The broad strategic focus areas and priorities for the business.  

Following this, Telos led a process to successfully formulate a new, inspiring and engaging Purpose; confirm the Strategic Priorities of the business (I.e., what did the business need to be good at to achieve its Purpose?); identify a realistically actionable number of strategic projects with tangible success indicators to direct the business toward greater sustainable capability; and clear next steps including what needed to be done, by who, and by when, to ensure accountability. We subsequently held a virtual session to workshop a set of Values that would shape the culture required to achieve the business’s strategy.  

Outcome 

Telos prides itself on our commitment to properly understanding our client’s context, goals, and challenges from the outset of engagement. In the context of this case-study, this resulted in the evolution of a client brief that was initially centred around organisational structure, into a fit-for-purpose Strategic Framework that met our client’s uncommunicated, and unrealised needs.  

This Strategic Framework has helped to clarify, enable and encourage the Directors of the organisation to make better, more strategically aligned decisions regarding their organisational structure and role clarity. In doing so, this has allowed for focussed performance monitoring toward expansion goals, and promoted a more engaged, culturally aligned workforce that is committed to delivering better patient experiences and health outcomes, thus driving successful and sustainable business growth into the future.