Life is a train of moods like a string of beads; and as we pass through them they prove to be many colored lenses, which paint the world their own hue, and each shows us only what lies in its own focus.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Developing Research Profiles
How the AHC Group
Serves Clients and
Corporate Affiliates
(step 2)
The destiny of a firm is often shaped in the court of public opinion. The firm's near-term value is determined by the options available to address that challenge. But too often these "top of the day" concerns eliminate the prospect of new wealth, or new positioning. They can impair a firm's vision, rather than offer it a route out and over. This kind of corporation is conflict-driven, and conflict-limited. Research-based management advice, when transacted intelligently, is actually the first step to cost-effective solutions. In our experience, too often a firm overpays for its mistakes by ignoring the power of research. They over-engage their public affairs and legislative staff.
In contrast, we structure our research products on four related boundary conditions:
- Mitigation options for the client — identifying actionable strategic responses to near-term and emerging challenges to existing positions and products.
- Emerging response strategies — We provide an Options Report that outlines a scenario route for each option presented. The AHC Group provides quality, not quantity, in defining options. As detailed in Dr. Piasecki's 1995 book on environmental excellence, the successful firm only needs "a few good options." We keep our costs down by not allowing any emerging response strategies to stand idle. We focus on real options, with measurable payouts from the start.
- New market opportunities that allow regulatory support and approval — The regulatory environment constrains a firm's room to maneuver. The AHC Group brings savvy and experience from the inner workings of state and federal regulators to our counseling sessions with a firm's leadership.
- Lessons for the leadership council — We lead one-and-a-half-day sessions with the firm's existing and emerging leaders to generate alignment around the strategic response options. (The AHC Group is known for its effectiveness in sharing learning among a firm's leaders. We can put you in touch with satisfied clients, from our recent work at Whirlpool, Dayton Power and Light, Concurrent Technologies Corporation, and other clients.)