WE FIX
WHAT'S BROKEN.
THEN WE LEAVE.
We enter clean, execute with authority, and exit without dependency. The goal is to leave things stronger than we found them.
ENGAGEMENT PRINCIPLES
Outcomes Before Activity
Work is defined by results, not hours, decks, or visibility.
Bounded By Design
Every engagement has explicit entry, exit, and success criteria.
Authority Precedes Execution
If authority is unclear, outcomes will be unclear.
Leverage Matters
We do not accept work that permanently trades leverage for busyness.
Shared Accountability
Client and firm responsibilities are explicit and enforced.
Simplicity Over Ceremony
Governance exists to enable speed, not slow it down.
STANDARD ENGAGEMENT PHASES
Every engagement follows a disciplined process. We enter clean, stay bounded, deliver real outcomes, and exit without dependency.
Operational Reality Check
Purpose: Establish whether there is a real execution problem and whether it is worth solving together.
If authority, intent, or readiness is missing, the engagement does not proceed.
Execution Diagnostic
Purpose: Establish a shared, unsanitized view of reality.
No solutioning before reality is agreed.
Design & Commitment
Purpose: Convert insight into executable commitment.
No execution begins without ownership and commitment.
Execution & Stabilization
Purpose: Deliver change that holds under real operating conditions.
Shank Strategy Ops may lead, co-lead, or advise — depending on authority granted.
Transition & Exit
Purpose: Ensure durability without dependency.
If the client still needs us for the same problem, the engagement failed.
MODELS OFFERED
Fixed-Scope Projects
Use when: Scope is clear, outcomes are defined, duration must be controlled.
- Diagnostics
- Operational resets
- Targeted execution interventions
Retainer-Based Advisory
Use when: Authority exists but priorities evolve. Leadership needs continuity, not capacity.
- Ongoing strategic guidance
- Decision support
- Priority evolution
Retainers are reviewed regularly for leverage vs. load.
Fractional Executive Leadership
Use when: Temporary authority is required. Outcomes demand decision ownership.
- Interim leadership
- Transformation leadership
- Crisis management
Fractional roles must increase control and optionality — not recreate past grind.
WHAT WE ARE NOT
If a client needs bodies without accountability, the engagement is declined.
CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Without these, outcomes are not possible. We are explicit about what clients must provide for engagements to succeed.
Executive Sponsorship
A senior leader who owns the outcome and can remove blockers.
Timely Access
Access to people and data when needed, not gated or delayed.
Clear Decision Rights
Explicit authority to make and enforce decisions.
Willingness to Act
Commitment to act on findings, not just receive reports.
EXIT PHILOSOPHY
Shank Strategy Ops measures success by:
The goal is not to be needed forever.
The goal is to leave things stronger than we found them — and move on deliberately.
REQUEST A REALITY CHECK
If you have a problem worth solving, this is a low-commitment first step to determine whether a real execution issue exists and whether it's worth discussing further. No commitments are made at this stage.
What happens next?
- 01.We review your inquiry within 48 hours
- 02.If there's potential fit, we schedule a discovery call
- 03.We assess readiness and define engagement scope