Learn to tie strategy
to every encounter
and decision.
What is Strategic Rebellion?
Strategic Rebellion is a consultancy of experienced senior executives, led by Michael Ferrabee, dedicated to helping organizations hard-wire strategic thinking and actions at all levels. We offer a series of customized offerings that provide the tools for everyone to be strategic starting with an intense half-day boot camp called The 2-Minute Revolution. The principles that participants take on are then applied to other critical functions. We have worked with organizations to radically re-design how they strategically manage and present their products to staff, their customers, and their Boards. more
Why Rebel?
Something comes up and I need to understand what’s going on. What I get is either a 20-minute song and dance that I have to wade through; or someone who sees this as an opportunity to turn “their” problem, into “my” problem.
-Canadian CEO of US multinational
I have four senior people who report to me weekly, and sometimes report to our Board. Some say way too much, others say hardly anything useful at all. There has to be a better way of doing this!
-Commissioner, large government Agency
These things happen because the people around you have not figured out how to be strategic with the issues they are managing and how to be strategic with your time and the time of your Board. There is a better way. Start the Rebellion by making it clear that everyone is expected to be strategic at all levels.
What is being strategic?
Being strategic is not about impressing people with fancy words, organograms, and confusing flow-charts. Being strategic is assessing a situation in the cold light of day, drawing some conclusions about the best possible outcome and working towards making that a reality.
But How?
Learn to be deliberate and intentional…
Learn to be audience focused…
Learn to accept that time matters…
Practice applying it everywhere…
We’ve trained more than 10,000 people in small groups in the past decade. It has been tested and taught in multi-national companies, multi-lateral institutions and the public sector and private sector at all levels across Canada, in the US and Europe. It changes the way you work because it dramatically changes the way you think about how you work.
Core Programming
IT ALL BEGINS WITH THE 2-MINUTE REVOLUTION…
The 2-Minute Revolution is a half-day leadership boot camp for small groups. Participants construct a 2-minute briefing or report in real time -- prepare it, try it out, polish it, try it again, and deliver it while getting personal feedback. The 2-Minute Revolution quickly provides the strategic foundation and then the tools for each participant to build their own strategic framework. The simple to follow process becomes the bedrock for their interaction with clients, colleagues, their boss, and their Board. It forces participants to brief and strategic. Being strategic is about being deliberative, focused and disciplined with what you deliver, and respecting the time of busy people. Participants rave about the session and entire senior leadership teams have adopted it as the way to dramatically improve their decision making. The course can be done in person or on a video platform.
The 2-Minute Revolution provides the ticket to entry at all levels to become known as a smart strategic contributor. The principles that participants take-on through the 2-Minute Revolution are the foundations of Strategic Rebellion and apply equally to all critical strategic work functions.
THEN MAKE SURE YOU WRITE LIKE IT MATTERS – BECAUSE IT DOES!
Effective Writing has lots in common: It is audience-focused. It is clear. It uses active language; not passive bafflegab, and it is edited up (not “dumbed down”). What it doesn’t have is long, ill-defined words, the latest management-speak, jargon or fluff.
Effective Writing sessions are designed to be 4 hours long, hands-on and for small groups. They are tailored to be very specific to your work environment and employees. Participants dig into company material editing it up so it is clear, concise and complete. Other areas often covered include when and how to use Artificial Intelligence functions and a deep dive into specific company writing products like Board reports or senior management briefing notes.
WHERE ELSE CAN WE REBEL?
Storming Your Meetings
Who hasn’t been in one of those meetings that seem to go on forever, with some blow-hard talking non-stop or providing his “insight” into every agenda item, full of boring, long and meaningless presentations no one can understand? more
Rebellious Presentations
Ask most people to put together a presentation and they will begin by turning to their computer, opening up Powerpoint and ask themselves: “What do I want to say?”. Wrong, wrong and wrong.
You want to first ask the strategic question “Why am I doing this?”, then ask “what can my audience understand” (NOT “what do I want to tell them”!), and finally “How best to do it” more
Upending Your Board
Many Boards remain mired in process, with members having to wade through a thigh-high mud stream of paper to figure out what is going on, and are subject to lengthy and terrible powerpoint presentations aimed at justifying dubious decisions rather than inform and get direction. Sometimes Boards rebel and sometimes smart and strategic executives figure out that they aren’t using their Board to their full potential and initiate their own rebellion. more
Advocacy in Action
This whole world is full of sketchy-sounding euphemisms like “Government Relations” and “Public Affairs”, all so it can tip-toe past the word “lobbying”. But if your business depends on direct or indirect funding from government, or is subject to regulation at any level, you need to be doing this!
We don’t lobby for you. We explain why it matters, help you focus strategically on where it can be most effective, and guide you on how to do it well. more
OTHER SERVICES AND OFFERINGS
The Strategic Rebellion consultancy also provides advice, and bespoke formal sessions on:
Appearing before Parliamentary or Legislative Committees.
Focused and intentional Strategic Planning from not-for-profits, through Associations up to large government departments.
One-on-one Mentoring at the most senior levels.
Confidential counsel on significant transformations (actual things, not a buzz word).
If you’d like to get into more detail about any of these radical approaches, drop us a line at Michael@StrategicRebellion.com. We are always up for a chat.