A Creative Department for Strategic Output

Diversity over Specialization

We assemble small teams of smart people who are interesting, different, collaborative and pleasant. It’s not the same people every time, nor should it be. It’s about using creative approaches for strategic output. We deploy intense 2-hour Salon discussions to uncover fresh questions, reframed approaches, and creative thinking around the situation.

Then we pause. We let it percolate. Before we even think about forming it into any sort of deliverable, we make sure the thinking really is as good as we felt it to be when it first came out of our brains. And once we’ve pulled everything into shape for presentation to our clients, we then road-test it again with other Sticks people who’ve had no involvement with the project.

We’ll interrogate the starting reality and all its moving parts. We’ll make sure the blueprint for change is completely cohesive. And we’ll create a plan for action that is workable within the culture of the company in which it has to play out.

It’s not just that diversity can sometimes beat specialization. Standing back can beat rushing in. Thinking can beat doing. Questions can beat answers. And creativity can beat data. For the most difficult business situations, getting it right is often very different from just getting it done.