Align leadership, clarify priorities and create a practical execution roadmap.
CATO's Strategy & Operating Model Sprint is a focused, senior-led engagement that brings your leadership team to clear decisions on priorities, the operating model, and roles and accountabilities, then turns them into a practical execution roadmap.
Senior-led sprint for leadership teams
2 to 4 weeks, depending on scope
Interviews, a facilitated workshop and structured outputs
Decision log and execution roadmap
Is your leadership team clear on direction, structure and priorities?
Leadership teams often agree that change is needed but not on what it should be. Priorities compete, the operating model reflects an earlier stage of the business, and decisions agreed in principle do not become a plan.
The Sprint is designed for chief executives, founders, executive teams, boards, business owners and division leaders who need to settle these questions together, before they commit the organisation to change.
Direction or priorities are unclear
The leadership team is not aligned on where the organisation is heading, which priorities matter most or what it should stop doing.
The operating model no longer fits
Structures, decision rights and accountabilities reflect an earlier stage of the business rather than how it needs to work now.
Strategy has not become a plan
Decisions have been agreed in principle, but there is no sequenced roadmap with owners, resourcing and milestones.
A new leader wants early alignment
A newly appointed chief executive wants the leadership team aligned on direction and priorities in the first months of the role.
Major change is about to begin
The organisation is preparing to commit to significant change and wants direction, structure and leadership decisions settled first.
When another route fits better
If a programme is already under way and in difficulty, the Transformation Recovery Office is designed for that situation. For one focused question, an expert call through Expert Access may be enough.
What the Sprint covers.
The Sprint brings the leadership team to decisions in four connected areas, so that direction, structure and delivery are considered together.
The emphasis in each area is agreed during scoping, based on the decisions your organisation needs to make. Leadership alignment runs through all four: the aim is a set of decisions the whole team understands and can act on.
Direction and priorities
Where the organisation is heading, which priorities matter most and what it should stop doing.
Operating model
Whether structures, decision rights and ways of working fit the direction the leadership team has agreed.
Roles and accountabilities
Who owns which decisions and outcomes, and how leadership responsibilities fit together.
Execution roadmap
How agreed decisions become sequenced initiatives with owners, resourcing and milestones.
How the Sprint works.
Four stages, from agreeing the questions to setting the roadmap. The exact sequence and timing are confirmed during scoping.
Scope and prepare
Agree the questions the Sprint must answer, who takes part and the timing, then complete pre-work on the material already available, such as current strategy and structure.
Interview and review
Executive interviews to understand each leader's view of direction, priorities and obstacles, alongside a review of the current operating model.
Workshop and decide
A facilitated strategy workshop where the leadership team works through the options and agrees its decisions, recorded in a decision log.
Roadmap and priorities
The agreed decisions are turned into a practical execution roadmap, with implementation priorities for what to do first.
2 to 4 weeks, depending on the scope agreed.
A senior practitioner from CATO's network, selected for experience in strategy, operating model design or executive leadership and in facilitating leadership teams, with CATO oversight throughout.
Pre-work and executive interviews, a facilitated strategy workshop and structured advisory outputs.
Larger or more complex engagements can include more than one workshop, agreed during scoping.
How CATO assures quality.
Each Sprint is scoped, led and overseen so that its decisions and roadmap are usable by the leadership team.
Senior, relevant experience
Led by a practitioner selected for senior experience in strategy, operating model design or executive leadership, and in facilitating leadership teams.
Scoped before work begins
The questions the Sprint must answer, who takes part, timing and outputs are agreed at the start, with CATO oversight throughout.
Facilitated from outside the team
The workshop is facilitated by an experienced practitioner from outside the leadership team, so options are tested on their merits and decisions are recorded clearly.
Handled confidentially
Interview input and workshop discussions are handled confidentially, in line with the agreed terms of the engagement.
CATO works through a curated network of experienced practitioners. We assess the client's issue, identify suitable expertise, and structure the engagement. If the proposed advisor is not the right fit, CATO can identify another suitable practitioner from the network.
Clear decisions and a practical roadmap.
The Sprint ends with written outputs your leadership team can act on. Their exact form and level of detail are confirmed during scoping.
Decision log
A clear record of the decisions agreed on direction, priorities, the operating model and accountabilities.
Operating model review findings
Observations on where the current structure, decision rights and accountabilities support the agreed direction, and where they need to change.
Execution roadmap
A sequenced roadmap that turns the agreed decisions into initiatives with owners, resourcing and milestones.
Implementation priorities
The first actions to take, so the leadership team knows where to start.
Shared direction and priorities
A common view across the leadership team of where the organisation is heading and what matters most.
Clearer roles and accountabilities
A clearer picture of who owns which decisions and outcomes.
A plan the team can act on
A practical starting point for delivery, rather than decisions that stay in principle.
Where this sits in CATO.
The Sprint is a defined engagement, delivered through CATO Advisory & Delivery and drawing on the Strategy, Transformation & Delivery practice.
Advisory & Delivery
The Sprint is delivered through CATO Advisory & Delivery, which can also support you to put the roadmap into practice.
Strategy, Transformation & Delivery
CATO's wider practice across strategy, operating models, transformation, programme recovery and delivery governance.
If you want senior expertise available as decisions arise after the Sprint, Advisory Desk provides ongoing, retained access.
Common questions.
What is a Strategy & Operating Model Sprint?
It is a focused, senior-led engagement that helps a leadership team reach clear decisions on direction, priorities, the operating model, and roles and accountabilities. CATO's Sprint combines pre-work, executive interviews, a facilitated strategy workshop and an operating model review, and produces a decision log, an execution roadmap and implementation priorities.
How long does the Sprint take?
The Sprint typically takes 2 to 4 weeks. Timing depends on the scope agreed at the start and is confirmed before work begins. Larger engagements can include more than one workshop.
Who leads the Sprint?
The Sprint is led by a senior practitioner from CATO's curated network, selected for experience in strategy, operating model design or executive leadership and in facilitating leadership teams. CATO oversees the engagement throughout. If the proposed advisor is not the right fit, CATO can identify another suitable practitioner from the network.
Who should take part?
Usually the chief executive or founder and the executive team. Board members, business owners or division leaders can also take part where the decisions affect them. Participants are agreed during scoping.
How is the Sprint different from the Transformation Recovery Office?
The Sprint is for decisions that come before or alongside major change: direction, priorities, the operating model, roles and an execution roadmap. The Transformation Recovery Office is for a programme already under way that is in difficulty and needs an independent diagnosis and an informed decision about its next steps.
What happens after the Sprint?
Your leadership team receives the decision log, execution roadmap and implementation priorities to act on. If you want support to put the roadmap into practice, it can be structured through Advisory & Delivery, and Advisory Desk provides retained access to senior expertise as decisions arise. Any further work is scoped and agreed separately.
Ready to plan a Strategy & Operating Model Sprint?
Tell us what your leadership team needs to decide. CATO will help define the scope and the right shape for the Sprint.