A simple belief in small changes producing positive outcomes
Thoughout our working experience, we have understood that it’s no good in many circumstances, trying to change everyone’s mind about how a problem should be tackled at once. It’s fine if we are working with a small business with one or two partners / owners / co-founders, our ideas and suggestions can often have a profound effect. With larger businesses though, a more subtle approach is needed. We probably don’t need to convince everyone at the same time, just a few individuals with the passion and trust to believe in what we say.
Often, with a little clarity and ‘disassociated thinking’ - i.e. thinking not so much out of the box, but more emotionally unconnected, businesses can resolve many issues themselves. We’re happy to provide a clear and no-holes barred opinion on where we think your business stands and what you should do. We’re not here to win friends as such.
Small adjustments often yield massive changes. Out of this thinking emerges an adjustment strategy - a series of recommended actions the business and its management should make. Sometimes these are quite small in concept. Indeed, one analogy we use to explain how the Adjustment Agency works is based on how a huge ship is steered. For example:
A huge marine vessel that takes miles to change direction. When the helmsman turns the ship’s wheel the rudder changes position, but, the wheel isn’t turning the rudder, it’s turning the rudder’s ‘trim-tab’ which is a small part of the actual rudder. The rudder requires too much effort to turn through the ship’s wheel. Turning the trim-tab requires less effort and creates resistance in the water, the pressure that resistance creates is what is used to actually move the larger rudder.
Often companies are similar to container ships, heavy and seemingly difficult to change direction because of complacency, ego, resistance to change, out of date thinking, excess baggage or being too connected to see problems, etc. As external consultants, we take a ‘disassociated view’, thinking and acting objectively. Equally, we can’t hope to make the company change direction overnight, it will require a series of changes in thinking across the stakeholders. As such, the Adjustment Agency acts like the trim-tab.
Perhaps Buckminster Fuller said it best:
"Something hit me very hard once, thinking about what one little man could do. Think of the Queen Mary—the whole ship goes by and then comes the rudder. And there's a tiny thing at the edge of the rudder called a trim tab.
It's a miniature rudder. Just moving the little trim tab builds a low pressure that pulls the rudder around. Takes almost no effort at all. So I said that the little individual can be a trim tab. Society thinks it's going right by you, that it's left you altogether. But if you're doing dynamic things mentally, the fact is that you can just put your foot out like that and the whole big ship of state is going to go.
So I said, call me Trim Tab."
Don’t think of us as typical business growth consultants or people who assist with a marketing strategy, many of whom you’ll likely find sitting at a desk in a typical Agency model business. All too often people hear the word ‘agency’ and think of teams of people sitting in an office working on client’s opportunities and problems. While you will certainly find as as a desk from time to time, we definitely don't follow a traditional agency model.
Agency in our case links back to the root of the word ‘agency’. While the term certainly can mean a business or organisation that provides a particular service on or behalf of others, we relate to two other meanings of the word:
AGENCY: The action or intervention that produces a particular effect. The Adjustment Agency is an intervention agent with a very specific effect or outcome in mind.
AGENCY: One’s sense of control in life. One’s capacity to influence one’s own thoughts and behaviour. The ability to have supreme confidence in one’s ability to handle diverse situations and tasks. A ‘Sense of agency” is that which engenders psychological stability, yet maintains flexibility in the face of conflict or change. In this sense, the Adjustment Agency seeks to establish order and control within your business; a base of stability and flexibility from which to effect change. If we get that right, your life should be immeasurably better too!
Reach out to us and arrange a short introductory call free of charge.
Use the form below or:
Call on: 0207 112 9130
Email: dontpanic@adjustmentagency.co.uk
The Adjustment Agency
20-22 Wenlock Road
London, England
N1 7GU
Company No.: 14316292
Email: dontpanic@adjustmentagency.co.uk