STRATEGIC management is a phrase being used in boardrooms up and down the country but many are unsure of what it really means for business.

To tackle this confusion and provide insight on how businesses are strategically managing change in the current market, pro.manchester, financial and professional organisation, brought together leading business leaders at its Strategy Conference 2010.

Using the legal sector as an example, a range of industry speakers provided an exclusive insight into how organisations, large and small, have incorporated their new strategies into their businesses and then communicated their new vision to associates and staff.

Professor Stephen Mayson, Stephen Mayson Ltd. discussed how the basic rules of evolution apply to all companies wanting to grow – ‘adapt or die’. Andy Duxbury, Chief Executive Officer of Aaron & Partners, then went on to explain how to manage this innovation and highlighted the need for client-centric thinking.

When strategic changes are being implemented in a company, cultural change must take place and Steve Carter from Baker Tilly outlined how to engage both staff and clients throughout this process. Nigel Bennett of Sterndale Associates informed the audience how it was time to get the dirt under their fingernails and implement their strategy. Richard Ferguson of Sensei finished the morning by bringing the group together in an interactive session which highlighted how staff engagement must be key in communication and strategic planning.

Attendee at the conference, Steve Kuncewicz, Intellectual Property and Media lawyer from HBJ Gateley Wareing, said :“pro.manchester’s strategy conference was the first of its kind which brought professionals together to talk about the nitty-gritty details of strategic management. It set a roadmap for future change. There are high profile changes taking place in the legal landscape due to the Legal Services Act, and it was interesting to hear from experts at the forefront of this change and learn how a very tradition-based industry is managing and implementing strategic change.”

John Ashcroft, Chief Executive of pro.manchester and also speaker at the conference, said: “Many of our members have commented to us that there is a need for a strategic management tool kit to guide businesses through change. This year’s strategy conference provided this through a panel of the leading management professionals in the North West.

"We want to equip professionals and businesses in Manchester with the skills needed to grow their businesses not only in the region but also through the UK and internationally"

pro.manchester would like to express our thanks to all the speakers involved Nigel Bennett, Andy Duxbury, Professor Stephen Mayson, Steve Carter and Richard Ferguson. 

We would also like to extend our thanks to our kind sponsor Baker Tilly
Baker Tilly would like to invite as many people as possible to take part in their research, by following the link below and completing the survey
http://www.bakertilly.co.uk/sectors/professionalpractices/legal-services-act.aspx

If you would like to receive the speaker presentations from the day please click here

Please click here for a copy of Strategic Thinking in Action by Nigel Bennett

To view more photo's from the day please click here

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