Proven Impact: Turning Strategy into Success
Cutucache Consolidated transforms abstract strategy into measurable results for forward-thinking leaders.
Explore the stories behind our most impactful projects.
We outline the challenges, the customized approach, and the sustainable growth achieved for organizations across various sectors. These case studies serve as a testament to our commitment to excellence and operational precision.
Increasing Student Retention Generates Additional $4.22M in Annual Revenue for an Higher Ed Institution
Context
An Executive Director of a non-profit focused on education had a complex project to complete that included stakeholders from multiple divisions within the organization. These cross-functional teams had to align, design, clarify a strategic plan, operationalize the plan, and scale up on a very tight timeline.
Some of the talent needed professional development to support such a massive transformation. The organizational chart had to be reconfigured to reflect the nuances for scale up. Every governance strategy, process, and outcome needed to be annotated and communicated to build and retain buy-in and demonstrate impact.
Action
Cutucache Consolidated provided support in several core areas for the team: 1) Strategic Thought Partnership for the Executive Director (via the CuCounsel Framework™, 2) Project Management Support (via CuExecutionManagement™), 3) Impact storytelling (via CuImpact™), and 4) professional development for a core team moving from tactical team members to operational leaders (via the Leading From The Middle Framework™).
Excitedly, the project was completed 2 months early, with the project team indicating that because of the cohesive communication, clear plan on paper, and accountabilibuddies for the team’s talent, that anyone could lead the next phase after scale. The systems and governance processes developed are supporting the long-term sustainability of the project.
result
The project was completed 2 months early and the resultant increased cohort student retention increased 3.5 fold, generating new revenue of approximately $4.22 million/year. We refined the organizational structure to add efficiency without increasing headcount, helped secure additional funding for scale, and established sustainable governance processes.
Strategic Planning & Partnership Pilot
Context
Cutucache, Cutucache Consolidated’s Founder, facilitated a strategic planning session bringing two prospective partners together. These partners were discussing the potential for a shared goal, but both had distinct requirements that they were unwilling to part with in the name of partnership.
result
Two teams that had occasionally both formally and informally worked together for decades were able to identify a shared vision, clear metrics, and make a plan with delineated roles, responsibilities, and outcomes that secured their partnership long-term. Because of this, their work is highlighted on the national stage, and they’ve secured additional funding, with committed funds for future years. These increases are difficult to capture in outcomes because of the additive effects that this project creates for decades to come, the shared branding to outcompete other entities, and the potential for future giving by individuals supported by this project.
By serving as a neutral third party, Cutucache identified the critical “go; no-go” items from each partner and as a group, attendees co-constructed a plan to pilot.
Three years in, these partners remain committed to their efforts, and rely on Cutucache Consolidated to host their major partner meetings.
Action
Turning Big Ideas into Action
Accelerating a 3-Year Plan in Under a Year at a Public College
Action
Cutucache Consolidated stepped in to assist with project management and reporting needs–from advising on data collection schedules, strategies, and storytelling via dataviz, through embedding core components of the program into existing structures to reduce overhead, cost, and omit the need for new governance and oversight strategies.
The result was that the team was able to accomplish what would typically take 3-years in just 1-year of intentional work. The resulting systems are now impacting other areas of the institution for further efficiencies and impact.
Context
A small, public institution of higher education partnered with Cutucache Consolidated to serve as their strategic advisor and administrative partner as they implemented a grant from a private foundation. The higher education team members already had full-time jobs–they needed to focus on developing their faculty and staff and serve students.
result
By cutting the timeline by 66%, the group observed a cost savings of >70% overall. But what was even more meaningful was the capacity for culture change within the organization because they observed the organic momentum by seeing a project move at such a fast pace–it gave great confidence to onlookers and encouraged even more people to raise their hands and join in on the systemic change.
Outcomes
Retaining and Developing Leaders at an International Technology and Real Estate Company
CONTEXT
An international technology and real estate company partnered with Cutucache Consolidated to help discern what makes their company culture unique. Culture was very important to this entity and they were keen to study how culture was affecting recruitment, retention, and promotion. Cutucache Consolidated completed semi-structured individual interviews with a large proportion of the team members, across different levels and divisions of the organization.
ACTION
Cutucache Consolidated provided thematic analysis, insights around risk, opportunities for improved retention, and validated assessment instruments for the company to utilize long-term to assess a team member’s journey within the corporate culture. Where past climate surveys had fallen flat, this culture study via CuCulture™ showcased the company’s unique value proposition, highlighted potential risks to mitigate, and how to plan for future sustainability with talent.
RESULT
This work led to a redesign in HR for talent development, retention, and promotion pathways. Additionally, it led to new talent trainings for new, middle-level, and senior leaders. These insights offered improved clarity for team members on how to move up the corporate ladder–thereby helping staff to see themselves at that company longer-term, and reduce turnover. Team members remarked how they were excited to have a voice in the process via the interviews, instead of just a 'typical' corporate climate or workplace survey. Cutucache Consolidated also provided validated assessments for the company to use for future employee evaluations and ongoing metric tracking.
action
Cutucache Consolidated supported the new CEO with the CuLeadershipFramework™, documented and projected risks, and served as a consistent sounding board regarding potential personnel challenges to ensure the CEO was leading most effectively. This external point of view helped the CEO consider possibilities framed within a quadrant system of “structural, organizational, cultural, talent”. This partnership empowered the CEO to consider challenges and risks in real-time without concerning or experiencing the potential bias of the other C-suite executives or of the governing shareholders.
RESULT
This process helped the CEO and the Board leadership, to identify risk scenarios that were not previously on their radar. Because of the risk identification and mitigation exercises, the CEO is better positioned to navigate the unpredictable landscape of political and economic shifts.
Strengthening CEO Leadership at a National Education Consulting Firm During a Critical Transition
Context
A national education consulting company partnered with Cutucache Consolidated to serve as the thought partner for the incoming, new CEO. The CEO had been with the company for over a decade, but was changing positions.
Turning Data Into Action at a Public University
Context
RESULT
A mid-sized, public academic institution partnered with Cutucache Consolidated to answer a question about student retention along their journey.
Individuals who need to use the data to make informed decisions can access it. People who aren’t data visualization experts, nor quantitative-heavy individuals now have more approachable stories via dashboards to help them predict and track (via leading and lagging indicators) what they need in order to be more proactive at their jobs. Such an outcome is exponential, since in this case it impacted more than 250 individuals and will affect tens of thousands of students with meaningful outcomes for their academic experiences.
As a result of working through the question, and advising on next steps, Cutucache Consolidated also demonstrated that the data governance process should be reviewed, since critical stakeholders were unable to access or make sense of the data, despite the relevant data being collected. These findings sparked additional conversations, action items, and a prioritized plan that ultimately led to changes within institutional research, and across data sharing platforms. The changes identified an opportunity within retention that also led to a newly funded grant application to address the need, thanks to the strong backing with data. Consequently, the institution was able to create processes that streamlined workflows, thereby reducing personnel effort, as well as increasing access to external funds to support the repair of a challenge within the retention landscape. Finally, the actual repair to the retention landscape will lead to sustainable revenue increases due to retention of enrollees.
ACTION
Helping a University Vice President Accelerate Leadership Effectiveness During a Critical Transition
Context
A university Vice President partnered with Cutucache Consolidated for a six-month leadership development engagement. This was a “leader in the middle”, someone who had direct reports as a Director, but had to answer to a more senior leader above her.
ACTION
The new leader worked with Cutucache Consolidated for 6-months to develop her leadership style and chart a plan for how she would support 360 degree leadership. Beginning with the CuLeadershipFramework™, identifying her go-no-go items (boundary setting), and then creating her schedule and timed communication plan items, this new leader felt prepared to dig-in. This timeframe corresponded to her first 100 day engagement (what Cutucache Consolidated refers to as her “grace period” with her direct reports), and then she was ready to implement her plan to be well-positioned as a poised, confident, calm leader.
Cutucache Consolidated stayed on as an advisory board member until the new leader felt comfortable in her leadership abilities and had the structures built to ensure that she had access to real-time feedback, to help her maintain success.
RESULT
The leader is thriving, cited by direct reports as a proactive relationship builder. Years later, positive feedback from her staff confirms the lasting impact of this development. These practices are also detailed in the Cutucaches’ book, “Leading From The Middle: When you have zero authority, but need maximum influence to accomplish the core mission.”
These practices can also be accessed in the Cutucaches’ book, “Leading From The Middle: When you have zero authority, but need maximum influence to accomplish the core mission.”
When Middle Management is Floundering
CONTEXT
A COO approached Cutucache Consolidated about a leader who had been in place for about 2 years, but was struggling to embrace the principles of empowering and galvanizing others.
ACTION
Cutucache Consolidated worked with this leader for 12-months around the shift from being a high-achieving individual contributor to now being a leader that impacts the lives of every one of their direct reports. This process followed the CuLeadershipFramework™ and the Leading From The Middle principles.
RESULT
The leader was able to practice vulnerability to admit prior challenges, commit to different future practices, and work one-on-one with each of their direct reports to rectify the challenges from prior leadership outcomes and chart a better, new path. While this leader is still early in the process of implementing this shift, early signs include positive reports from the COO in terms of noticeable change, and positive reports from the leader’s direct reports.