Chester & Fourth

When it comes to solving complex problems for our clients, the Chester & Fourth difference is easily explained. Looking exclusively to either the past, the present, or the #future for guidance will never be enough. A thorough analysis of events and people has to be done using the combined powers of hindsight, insight and foresight. #problemsolving #strategy

In light of yesterday's big announcement, have you had a chance to check out our updated #people page? Unlike other firms, we don't window-dress or piggy-back on our consultants or clients' #reputation. While you're at it, have a peek at some of our other beautifully crafted #website pages and graphics – they've been a source of inspiration to more than one competitor. 😎 https://lnkd.in/dpMXa6yx

Excited to share the news that I’ve joined Chester & Fourth, a boutique consultancy advising mission-driven organizations on matters of strategy, innovation, and institutional knowledge, as Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives. I’m looking forward to helping our clients foster sustainable and equitable growth. The icing on the cake for me is getting the opportunity to help build an organization that is leading the way when it comes to employee wellbeing, and decent and dignified work. Thank you to Managing Director Tim Mueller, PhD for trusting me with this role.

#WELCOMEPOST Chester & Fourth is pleased to welcome Brittany Gataveckas, PhD to its management team. Starting on July 2, Brittany will join us full-time as the inaugural Director, Operations and Strategic Initiatives. In this role, she will add an important #equity lens to our service offerings, and use her extensive experience in designing, implementing, and managing #EDI and human rights initiatives of national scale and #impact to usher in the next chapter of our development. Welcome, Brittany! 

When done correctly, clear #communication can build bridges, foster a sense of belonging, and boost productivity in the #workplace. Curiously enough, speaking the same #language is not a guarantor of success. The overuse of #jargon can cause misunderstanding and alienation, and divide people into insiders and outsiders. While jargon can mean specialized or technical language to some, it's gibberish to the uninitiated, creating an artificial barrier to entry that is often difficult to overcome. With interdisciplinary problem-solving, combined degree programs, blended workforces, shorter attention spans, and consumer and constituent demands for #transparency on the rise, the need for simplicity and intelligibility in communication has never been greater.

I had some "professional concerns" with this article (I am not calling it criticism b/c much of this piece boils down to semantics and commercial innovation): 1. Who is on trial in this article: the model of strategic philanthropy, or private philanthropy's entire track record since the days of Carnegie? The two are not synonymous. What's more, strategic philanthropy means very different things to different funders, and practices have evolved over time. 2. Philanthropic dollars have always been a drop in the bucket compared to what the government can/wants to spend. Philanthropy has played the role of catalyst, mediator, capacity-builder, accelerator, negater, coordinator, venture capitalist, etc. "Alternative to Government" is not one of the hats it (ever?) flaunts. 3. Calling time of death on philanthropic initiatives that might still be underway, or have not yet demonstrated sufficient impact, is a premature assessment and an example of the results-obsessed paternalism the article wants to eliminate. 4. There are some funders, who, for decades, have made monetary and non-monetary tools for success available to individuals and organizations without impeding on their agency. In other words: where are the good guys in this story? #philanthropy #strategicphilanthropy #impact #thoughtleadership

A doctor can't treat a patient effectively without consulting the patient's medical history. The same goes for leaders managing organizations. They can't carry out their jobs effectively if they fail to consider what has already happened and why. #history #leadership #decisionmaking #strategic #management https://lnkd.in/g_xmrfBM

What do organizations and AI have in common? They rely predominantly on explicit knowledge – knowledge that can be codified, stored in electronic form, and is easily transferrable. And yet explicit knowledge makes up but a fraction of the knowledge that exists within each and every organization. There is tacit knowledge – knowledge that individuals possess and know how to use intuitively but is difficult to describe to others. There is also latent knowledge – knowledge that individuals have picked up consciously or subconsciously at some point in their careers but remains unused. The point is that some of the most valuable knowledge is of the silent type and needs to be carefully teased out through high-trust and engaging conversations. Machines can't do that. Expert interviewers can. #knowledge #management #ai #organizations #humantouch

Chester & Fourth advises mission-driven organizations and leaders on matters of strategy, innovation, and institutional knowledge. We use creative problem-solving to generate actionable ideas that can flow into innovation funnels or inform executive decisions. To help clients achieve long-term sustainable success, we design and implement strategic initiatives using our expertise in research, storytelling, and capacity-building. For more information, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/g6hp9g5 #purpose

When I tell clients, colleagues, or pretty much anyone who gets stuck in a conversation with me, that you can't do #strategy without getting to know your organization inside out, the reaction I often get is a patient nod feigning understanding. Time for some clarification. Who you are influences what you do. And what you do influences who you are. It's symbiosis at its best. Of course, who you are in the #present is not severed from who you were in the #past. And who you are in the present is inevitably going to influence who you will be in the #future, shaping your actions and vice versa. Still with me? Exploring your #identity – who you were/are/will be as an organization, your #purpose, #culture, and #values – goes hand in hand with the act of deciding what to do (i.e., strategy). Only then can you be sure that the strategy you choose works for your organization and not someone else's.