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Nigel joined Peter Brett Associates (PBA) in 1978 and became a Partner in 1990. More recently he took the role of Managing Director of PBA International (PBAI). He has over 30 years broad multidisciplinary experiance, focusing on UK international projects. In mid 2006, he asked Tony Swift to help him develop and execute a strategic plan for PBAI.
What motivated you to set up PBAI?
There were a number of reasons for this. Firstly, I believed (along with many other Partners) that the development of Global based practice is necessity to support key international clients who undertaking projects throughout the world. Secondly, it is important to access labour skills in other geographies to ensure we can supoprt international projects at a competitive price. Thirdly, international work can act as an insurance policy against any recession in the UK economy.
So how did you start?
We basically were driven abroad by client projects and when a substantial piece of work was obtained we considered whether it was worthwhile establishing a more permanent presence in that geography.
How quickly are you now growing?
We now have 10 international offices (Ireland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Germany, UK, Mauritius, South Africa, India, and Australia) around the world and turnover and profit have grown by approximately 100% this year. Much of our work is being obtained from international clients in land development, which in our industry is right at the top of the food chain.
What are the key ingrediants in ensuring a local international office is successful?
Quite simply there are 3 ingrediants. Firstly, finding the right person to lead the office. Secondly, ensuring an office is opened in the correct geography, and thirdly, making sure we can find skilled staff to do the work.
You have recently been revising the strategic plan for PBAI
Can you explain in more detail what this entails?
This has involed some research. Much discussion with my fellow partners and local office international directors to build consensus on the way forward, and to ensure that the strategy in consistent with that of PBA (the UK business). 'Buy in' from all key shareholders in essential. We know that the execution of this strategy is crucial. Therefore we understand that our strategic plan has got to be:
Supported by the correct organisational structure.
Converted into short term action plans.
Supported by incentives and controls that ensure the management and staff are focused on its execution.
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Why this focus on execution?
It seems to me that most managers of businesses spend time developing strategies but very little on the execution issue. Poor performance in businesses is typically not due to poor planning but with doing. Sound business plans fail because of a lack of execution know how.
Presumably you are not underestimating the importance of a good strategy?
Absolutely not – it is crucial. In fact execution is impossible without something to execute and it clearly is the first essential ingredient in the execution process.
What are the key things you have done to facilitate
execution?
PBA is a large organisation with almost 600 employees. We believed that a key first step was to treat the international division almost as a self contained workteam with its own support infrastructure and management team.
This enabled us to get things done quickly rather than just relying on the infrastructure of PBA which clearly had its own work priorities. In this way we can be more nimble and flexible yet have the backing of a substantial organisation (PBA) which we can turn to when required.
We then made sure that our strategic plan was converted into a series of short term actions which were adequately resourced. Making sure that we completed the actions on time on a consistent basis is a great discipline.
How often due you review the plan?
We review the action plans on a monthly basis in
management meetings and the strategic plan on a six monthly basis - this normally involves a one day session. Given that we are growing quickly it is important for us to constantly be monitoring developments in the marketplace
and understanding how we can respond to what are often changing circumstances.
What are the key lessons you have learnt over the
last few months?
Tony Swift was telling me that he attended a seminar
recently when some leading light mentioned that only 1 in 20 businessmen had a strategic plan defining the vision for the
future. Tony believes that of all those people who have a strategic plan only 1 in 10 actually focuses on executing properly. Since we have put in the proper process model for executing strategy the pace at which our business is moving has exponentially increased. Tony has been key to this success.
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