Unlocking this potential isn’t for the faint of heart. We call it The Foundry for a reason. But there’s magic in forging focus and clarity – and it’s found in the work. In going through, rather than around, the hard questions.
If you’re ready to deliver that kind of clarity to your team, we’re ready to roll up our sleeves, dig deep, and help you create it.
We don’t believe in strategic planning. We believe in strategic clarity. We don’t think organizations change (not overnight). But we do know they can evolve. We don’t accept that great leaders are born. We’re convinced that they are forged. Here are some recent examples of teams who have gone the distance with us.
What does rural mean? The Blandin Foundation came to Quicksilver Foundry with the kind of challenge we just love to chew on: How do we rethink our work to help rural America redefine the very meaning of rural? We worked with the Foundation to align staff, programs, a new CEO and the board behind one focused mission: supporting vibrant, resilient, rural Minnesotan communities. Working with individual teams, the Foundation's executive team and the board, we helped streamline the Foundation's strategic approach and rethink every aspect of how they show up to be a powerful signal of vibrant community.
Blandin Foundation
Cars on Mainstreet.
We've been working closely with COMPASS for a number of years now - and we think that work defines the potential of an authentic consulting relationship. In the hunt for more impact, all the hard questions are fair game, and they push us just as hard as we push them. First, we dug hard into the team's DNA and aspirations. This was clearly a group ready to go places and embrace a true 'fast and light' attitude. Next we pulled out the toolkit and got under the hood to rethink and align their structure and operating system - these guys needed to turn on a dime and make the most of a dispersed, virtual team. And finally, based on insights from the brand strategy work, we helped COMPASS redefine its ambitions. Previously focused on marine issues, they saw their model and expertise was more widely applicable to a broader suite of science and sustainability issues. Today COMPASS is looking beyond marine and embracing a much broader agenda. Science that resonates. That's the essence of COMPASS.
COMPASS
Connecting the Dots.
Our first take away? The front line staff at Easter Seals UCP frequently face more trying and emotionally fraught decisions in the first hour of their day than many of us face in a full year. We were going to need to bring our A-game to build a brand strategy that met them where they were. Our second? Easter Seals UCP are quietly setting about creating a national revolution by modeling how services for people with disabilities and mental health issues can be reframed. Our work with Easter Seals UCP was a great demonstration of how evolving organizational cultures can be as much about staying authentic to the questions as it is about bringing insight or fresh thinking. In the end this was a project about finding the right questions, truly understanding what was at the heart of the organization, and helping teams give themselves permission to go be bold.
Easter Seals UCP
Ask the Right Questions.
The Society of American Foresters has been the primary convener of the forest management industry for more than 100 years. But along with many other well established associations and member based organizations, they sensed tectonic shifts in the expectations of their members. The challenge: to reposition an organization with a rich heritage to provide members with an indispensable package of value and services. We worked with SAF to take a fresh look at their core purpose. With a clear focus on the 'Why?', strategic questions about the institution's services were thrown into sharp relief. Tomorrow's SAF must deliver a comprehensive, integrated engagement in an efficient, cost effective and leading edge package. If you're going to own 'the community space' in today's market, you've got to deliver the goods in a one stop shop: the network, the learning and the professional standard. With clarity, a fresh voice for the brand, and a shortlist of priorities, today's SAF is ready for the next 100 years.
Society of American Foresters
Evolving Value.
Social Venture Partners threw down the gauntlet. 'Many have tried, but none have succeeded,' challenged Founder, Paul Shoemaker. They weren't lacking in energy, experience or inspiration. Meeting with any one of their 2800 partners is like putting your finger in a light socket. The issue was distilling all that energy: bringing all those passionate voices together behind one clear brand narrative. As Paul put it, 'During a three course meal I can win anyone over with our story, but on an elevator ride - no way.' Together, we rolled up our sleeves and put SVP in The Foundry. We knew what we'd be up against: We had to design a process that effectively involved everybody, but drove the conversation to a clear and compelling conclusion. This is where building genuine trust and keeping the conversation authentic really count. We had to prove we were in for the long haul: there for the impact not the fees. Today, SVP has their elevator pitch, and they can tell you who they are, what they do and why it matters, in one sentence, one paragraph or one elevator ride.
Social Venture Partners
Many Voices. One Brand.
Surfline is cool. What they do is cool, and their people are, well, cool. So we weren't about to try and add that to the mix. What we did do was take Surfline through our 'fast and light' tool-kit in short order - turning a fresh eye on what is at the very core of their brand and working with them to find ways to embed the resulting insights into their culture. A great example of the outcome is the illustrated set of 'social norms' that staff now have on hand - simple, conversational behavioral cues that define how Surfline shows up in the world. We think organizational values are best left to crusty old institutions. Social norms are like the favorite objects you'd grab if your house was on fire. They are core. They drive behavior. And when actions speak louder than words, behavior is the strongest brand signal in your quiver.
Surfline
Redefining Experience.
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