https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights daily 0.75 2023-07-25 https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/ourstory monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1645763799324-X6O0A5DWSWJ1GL9SH9VC/unsplash-image-sYffw0LNr7s.jpg Insights - Our story - Impact Partners began as a love project. In late 2020, the pandemic became a source of inspiration for our founders, Amarachi Kejeh (nee Nnah-Ogbonda) and Chiyemenma ‘Chichi’ Kejeh. Following recent international stints in Australia and the United Kingdom respectively, they desired to add value to Nigerian organisations within their immediate network during their few weeks of downtime. The pandemic significantly disrupted ‘business as usual’ and for organisations to thrive, it was important to reassess and redesign their strategic plans. After successfully completing 3 probono/lowbono strategic planning projects, Impact Partners Consulting was incorporated. The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of virtual technologies and working styles across Africa. This has provided the perfect opportunity for passionate experts across the world to leverage their skillsets in serving African organizations. Africans in diaspora no longer have to dream about the day they will return home and contribute their quota to nation-building. From the comfort of their homes, they can now add tremendous value to businesses, not-for-profits, and government agencies. We all have a part to play in developing the prosperous Africa that we desire. Cheers to many great years ahead for Impact Partners enabling a prosperous Africa! To find out how we can serve your organisation, book a complimentary 30 mins call with us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/76b8c490-4cc2-404b-a805-132381fce679/mission+vision+values.png Insights - Our story - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/introtostrategyseries monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1621565857658-AMW1VOJVYCJO5CKXY4UW/pexels-photo-260024.jpg Insights - Introduction to strategic planning series Over the next few articles, we will describe the “what”, “why”, “when”, “who” and “how” of strategic planning. Strategic planning, our core offering, refers to the ongoing process of developing the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term and determining how resources should be best allocated. Strategic planning is crucial to the success of any organisation regardless of type or size. It answers questions such as “why does my organisation exist?”, “what should be our goals?”, and “how should we achieve them?” https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/cheers-to-a-great-2021 monthly 0.5 2023-02-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1645240059918-9TUGKJ3QKVBGNLU17CTT/2021+retreat+2.jpg Insights - Cheers to a great year! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1645240059858-75O71O6H27I8A0VQTHGH/2021+retreat+1.jpg Insights - Cheers to a great year! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1645239649512-5OWA96TP2GF1RHKGEV5M/MicrosoftTeams-image.png Insights - Cheers to a great year! https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/six-whys-of-strategic-planning monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1645241526981-5CH38SVIOYBFJLL7YVGX/6+whys+strategy.jpg Insights - Six ‘whys’ of strategic planning - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/our-impact-in-action-critical-thinking-soft-skills-training monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/14210039-b1a4-4780-81fa-ea65075110aa/ksf+2021.jpg Insights - Our Impact in Action: May 2021 Critical Thinking Training - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/why-1-of-strategic-planning monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/e18912ef-cede-495e-b1d1-2a39eca4d383/Strategic+planning+whys+%281%29.png Insights - Why #1 of strategic planning Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic changed our world in ways we did not anticipate: restriction of movement, economic recession, exponential adoption of technology, increased diversification of supply chains. Strategic planning provides opportunities for organisations to reflect on their reason for being and the changing external environment and develop strategies to thrive over the long-term. Changes will most likely occur at a faster rate over the next decade than it did over the past century. For African organisations to thrive and better compete at the global stage, they must be discerning and dynamic to recognise these changes and adapt to them. This article by ImpactHub outlines 3 West African businesses that thrived during the pandemic. To find out how we can serve your organisation, book a complimentary 30 mins call with us. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/why-2-of-strategic-planning monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1645759373386-EXG76G2I8V0LLYKZ76EM/Strategic+planning+whys+%282%29.png Insights - Why #2 of strategic planning Organisations that outshine their peers retain their positions of leadership by identifying and leveraging what makes them unique. This could include world-changing product inventions, best-in-class teams, brand recognition and cost leadership. Sources of competitive advantage are not always obvious. A thorough and systematic strategic planning process helps organisations uncover and hone in on what distinguishes them. This article by TEC Canada profiles global organisations which maximise their competitive advantage. We help organisations uncover their secret sauces and position themselves for long-term success. To find out how we can serve your organisation, book a complimentary 30 mins call with us. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/why-3-of-strategic-planning monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1545e5af-9b39-42c7-9e37-665f41253f9f/Strategic+planning+whys+%283%29.png Insights - Why #3 of strategic planning This HBR article When CEOs Talk Strategy, Is Anyone Listening? (hbr.org) found that only 29% of employees at high-performing corporations understood their strategy. For the Nigerian market, you can assume that a small fraction of organisations have a clearly articulated strategy and a much smaller fraction of employees are clued into it. This brings us to why #3 of strategic planning: it provides a unifying direction for employees across the entire organisation. Strategic planning provides an opportunity to align senior leadership, managers, and staff on their reason for being, vision, key strategic choices, and priorities. This in turn boosts employee motivation, improves the quality of decision-making, and results in better outcomes for the organisation. We can help you develop your winning strategic plan and build alignment across your entire organisation through the process. To find out how we can serve your organisation, book a complimentary 30 mins call with us. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/why-4-of-strategic-planning monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1a9caa84-9f35-4ca7-8eb0-0170767f668c/Strategic+planning+whys+%284%29.png Insights - Why #4 of strategic planning Clearly documenting and communicating your strategic plan will boost employee buy-in for your strategic plan, particularly when employees have been included in the strategic planning process. Employees are motivated to serve with a greater sense of responsibility towards an organisation’s strategic plan when they understand how their work aligns with it. This results in higher organisational productivity. This article by TheHRObserver sheds more light on empowering employees in the strategic planning process: We can help you develop and disseminate your winning strategic plan throughout your organisation to build your employees’ capacity for execution. To find out how we can serve your organisation, book a complimentary 30 mins call with us. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/why-5-of-strategic-planning monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1645760414270-3BGT3QHJ9V0QY774QF94/Strategic+planning+whys+%285%29.png Insights - Why #5 of strategic planning Without a strategic plan, most organisations allocate their resources in a bias-prone, short-sighted, or reactive manner which diminishes the value the organisation can create. When an organisation’s resources are allocated proportionately to its strategic priorities, the organisation can effectively and efficiently achieve them. This article by McKinsey gives 4 principles to help executives allocate resources dynamically to deliver greater value for their organisations: . We are well versed in developing strategic plans which enable organisations maximise their limited resources. To find out how we can serve your organisation, book a complimentary 30 mins call with us. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/why-6-of-strategic-planning monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/14cc7ad1-4310-42ad-9d28-1a48726a8c9b/Strategic+planning+whys+%286%29.png Insights - Why #6 of strategic planning This week, we present our sixth and final reason why strategic planning is important: it gives a basis to track the progress of the organisation. Beyond identifying measurable goals, strategic planning equips organisations with simple properly defined key performance indicators (KPIs) by which they can measure success and clearly recognise opportunities for improvement. This classic HBR article outlines the importance of having a balanced perspective when creating KPIs in strategic planning processes: At Impact Partners, our strategic planning process is robust and delivers balanced and effective KPIs for your organisation’s strategic goals. To find out how we can serve your organisation, book a complimentary 30 mins call with us. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/when-does-an-organization-need-a-strategic-plan monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1645762043089-MVII8FLJV7TEO2JV3CQF/unsplash-image-0rTCXZM7Xfo.jpg Insights - When does an organisation need a strategic plan? Reflecting on our prior articles on six compelling reasons for strategic planning, you may be wondering, ‘When does my organisation need a strategic plan?’ Many organisations develop business plans at the start of their organisation but often do not refresh them to align with the evolving needs of their clients, staff, and the external environment. Here are some symptoms that your organisation needs a new strategic plan: unclear vision and direction, too many products and services, consistent dissatisfaction from customers and/or decline in revenue, ineffective team culture, significant external shifts like major industry, economic reforms, and industry lifecycle stages. With changes in our world occurring more rapidly than ever, it is important for organisations to no longer treat strategic planning like one-time occurrences. This article by McKinsey details changes that leaders can make to treat strategy as an ongoing and continuous process. At Impact Partners, our thorough strategic planning process can help your organisation effectively adapt to your changing context. To find out how we can serve your organisation, book a complimentary 30 mins call with us. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/who-should-strategic-planning-involve monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/9d0c3c4a-dc5a-43c2-be9c-4d22fabc7169/unsplash-image-CHVTt0aGbx0.jpg Insights - Who should strategic planning involve? Strategic planning is often associated with leaders of organisations alone. However, this should not be the case. To increase the likelihood of success of the strategic plan, organisations should meaningfully engage with a range of internal and external stakeholders who understand the organisation and the unique terrain it operates within. Engaging staff across all levels of the organisation helps leaders better understand where the organisation currently is and how it can better serve customers, staff, and its community. It also fosters buy-in and encourages a mindset of ownership which aids successful strategy implementation. External stakeholders such as industry thought leaders, regulators, and suppliers can also help better illustrate the big picture of current and future industry dynamics and provide insights on how the organisation can position itself to thrive. This article by MissionBox provides practical insights on how to elicit perspectives about your organisation from your stakeholders to create a high-impact strategic plan. While the article is specific to non-profits, the insights shared can be extrapolated to other types of organisations. We utilise a collaborative approach to strategic planning. To find out how we can serve your organisation, book a complimentary 30 mins call with us. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/how-is-strategic-planning-done monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1645764425511-ZUL8GVBLEVRRELBPUOIA/unsplash-image-iRyGmA_no2Q.jpg Insights - How is strategic planning done? Over the past few articles, we have shared what strategic planning is, why it is important and who should be involved in the process. In today’s post, we address the burning question: “how is strategic planning done?”. The strategic planning process involves 3 key phases: Phase 1 – UNDERSTAND This entails understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, assessing it against its competitors, and identifying opportunities for it to thrive in the coming years. Phase 2 – STRATEGISE This phase involves making decisions on the new direction of the organization, with its leaders and/or key stakeholders. Phase 3 – PREPARE Now armed with a winning strategic plan, the organisation should prepare for implementation. This is done by embedding monitoring and evaluation mechanisms that will ensure accountability to the strategic plan. Your strategic plan aims to take your organisation from where it is to where it desires to be. Thus the process must be conducted carefully to ensure an effective outcome. This article by McKinsey provides insights on how to improve this process. We utilise a thorough approach to strategic planning. To find out how we can serve your organisation, book a complimentary 30 mins call with us. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/common-mistakes-organisations-make monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1645829654769-GRP1OLAPWT0UN05VCKKH/unsplash-image-8RXmc8pLX_I.jpg Insights - Common mistakes organisations make when developing their strategic plans Many organisations repeat the same mistakes when developing their strategic plans, irrespective of their industry or size. Here are common mistakes which hinder the effectiveness of such plans, to ensure that your organisation avoids them: 1: NOT BEING CLEAR ON THE MEANING AND COMPONENTS OF STRATEGY. Many leaders adopt a singular indicator such as a target revenue or market position, or they take their marketing plan as their strategy. These are components of a strategy and not strategy in its entirety. 2: NOT CONSIDERING INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS AND FACTORS. Good strategic planning considers the needs, perspectives, and input of people beyond the C-suite to get their buy-in. Also, organisations often do not capitalise on the data they already have to derive insights which can enhance their strategy. 3: NOT CONSIDERING EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS AND FACTORS. It is vital to consider your competitors, customers’ needs and wants, and market trends in your strategic plan. Many organisations miss out on one or more of these factors. 4: NOT HAVING A REALISTIC PLAN. Organisations must recognise the implications of their strategic plan such as capabilities and financing required to implement it. The strategic plan should also be ambitious but feasible in the given time frame with clear KPIs and success measures. 5: NOT OPTIMISING FOR IMPLEMENTATION. The strategic plan should be clear, concise, simple and communicated effectively to stakeholders. The strategic planning process should also include regular monitoring and review mechanisms to track the progress and amend the direction of the strategic plan. By default, this means that recycling an outdated strategic plan is a wrong move. In this article, Bernard Marr highlights 10 mistakes to avoid when creating your business strategy. We can partner with you to ensure you avoid such mistakes when developing your organisation’s winning strategic plan. To find out how we can serve your organisation, book a complimentary 30 mins call with us. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/why-impact-partners-should-support-you monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/985296ec-18d0-4cce-97f2-e67f90640fe1/why+us.png Insights - Why Impact Partners should support you in developing your strategic plan At Impact Partners, we believe that strategic planning should be a top priority for every organisation. We have witnessed significant improvements in our clients’ organisations as a result of our engagement with them. This fuels our passion, and we continue to give our best to our clients through our expertise, experience, and thorough, collaborative approach. We can help you develop your winning strategic plan that can set you apart from your peers and enable you develop greater social impact. Let us partner with you for impact. To find out how we can serve your organisation, book a complimentary 30 mins call with us. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/what-happens-after-you-develop-your-strategic-plan monthly 0.5 2023-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/ce8fdb0e-3d37-4eaf-b745-0eff3e25a026/unsplash-image-6gKx3ESOoFE.jpg Insights - What happens after you develop your strategic plan? At the end of your strategic planning process, your organisation has outlined its primary mid- to long-term goals and the short-term initiatives to achieve these goals. Success measures have also been identified to check when your goals have been achieved. After this extensive and thorough process of developing your strategic plan, the next step is to implement the identified strategic initiatives. Having a strategic plan alone does not guarantee success and implementing your strategic plan is even more important than developing the plan. Factors which are crucial to the success of your implementation include: clearly communicating and cascading your new strategic plan throughout the units and levels of your organisation, allocating resources to enable implementation of your strategic initiatives, and tracking the progress of implementation. This HBS Online article provides a step-by-step guide for managers to help you effectively implement your organisation’s strategic plan. To find out how we can serve your organisation, book a complimentary 30 mins call with us. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/category/Company+updates monthly 0.5 https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/category/Impact+Partners monthly 0.5 https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/category/Strategy monthly 0.5 https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/category/Career monthly 0.5 https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/category/Social+impact monthly 0.5 https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/tag/Impact+Partners monthly 0.5 https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/tag/Consulting monthly 0.5 https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/tag/Strategy monthly 0.5 https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/tag/foraprosperousAfrica monthly 0.5 https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/insights/tag/Social+impact monthly 0.5 https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/contact daily 0.75 2023-04-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ce435d6bea1ed00016ba287/1558964652247-5MWXNMFZVOPGE4TY6U2Q/MHeiderich_ReflexionenZwei-05-copy.jpg Book us https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/careers daily 0.75 2023-04-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1612216081702-GIXIYT1RSA9LS4FMG0UO/team Careers - Come join a team of passionate, intelligent, and innovative professionals that are changing Africa, one organisation at a time. https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/home daily 1.0 2023-07-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/347b96ac-2258-4f3f-bbf4-545cebb31986/cover+page+blurred.png Home About us Impact Partners is a social impact consulting firm passionate about socio-economic development in Nigeria and across Africa. We serve organisations already operating in Africa and those seeking to enter the African market. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/ae656eb2-ef45-4e2e-8080-d907317ddfda/icons8-group-meeting-64.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/8ec6d69c-1897-4ee0-908e-53955614ba72/icons8-consulting-64.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/bcf4011b-5bed-43e1-9469-153794a3de08/icons8-online+course.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1682101433874-N84EL6SOWSY549MN4PZF/unsplash-image-UdDjFekHQuk.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/a39066c1-0f51-45fe-926f-a3a5103f02b0/KSF+image.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1654140127947-B84DFHDT9A351XFEQU04/unsplash-image-gcHFXsdcmJE.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1654097264899-KMTGH0V6A44XIDEXBF28/Amarachi+professional+pic.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1654136572826-6150C6H06TCY6ZVWG93D/Ijeoma+image.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1654136667809-89H4SYOAO12I9JY19OXZ/chichi+image.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1654136794529-RY5P2MBKJ2S5YV1T241O/Lesly%2Bimage.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1654136899325-ZVXVMBL3MFIRTC5DS7HG/precious%2Bimage.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1654137187474-NO75IMPGC8GC751M575Y/Femi+image.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/9dc188ed-e011-42ea-a183-6045ae05afa2/CKL+logo.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/61057d34-015e-43c3-847d-ea23f48881e8/green+energy.jpeg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/e856ef7a-c443-48dc-86a9-2c436da8479c/lekoil.jpeg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/369dc4dd-8f60-48d7-ad85-f0ff27525657/hptp+logo+small.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/ced295bf-01f9-4637-9cb4-aa94ca760967/mercyland+logo.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/1674238534728-MPOG3PCUV92NB1SDAFFE/Mocsi%2BVillage.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/d555e7a1-ffff-4b8a-9e78-2885c2815e5a/Bloom+Advisory+final+logo.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/6b587dab-41d0-479c-bbf4-375bcb8166c6/deminent+logo+small.png Home https://www.impactpartnersnigeria.com/mission-vision-values daily 0.75 2022-06-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60170d2bc360987af4f795a5/76b8c490-4cc2-404b-a805-132381fce679/mission+vision+values.png Our mission, vision, values