Situation overview
This situation arises when a business is fundamentally sound, but performance is not where it should be.
Complexity has crept in, priorities are unclear, and execution no longer matches intent. Management teams are often busy, but effort is diluted and outcomes are inconsistent. Over time, this erodes confidence and makes improvement harder than it needs to be.
I am typically brought in to help reset how the organisation actually operates. The focus is on simplification, cadence, and restoring a clear operating rhythm that supports consistent delivery and accountability.
What this situation often looks like in practice
While each business is different, common characteristics include:
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A sense that the business is working harder than it should be for the results achieved
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Too many priorities and insufficient focus on what really drives performance
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Inconsistent management information and unclear accountability
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Decision-making slowed by complexity or ambiguity
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Frustration within the leadership team that plans are not translating into results
The risk is not failure, but persistent underperformance becoming normalised.
Selected Case Studies
Restoring workplace productivity and operational control through on-site leadership
Context
A portfolio company backed by private equity had experienced a steady erosion of productivity and operational control following a prolonged period of remote working.
Customer complaints had increased, response times had deteriorated, and operational controls had quietly fallen away. Administrative headcount had grown disproportionately, costs had escalated, and leadership visibility within the business had diminished.
Senior leaders were rarely present on site. Middle management resisted any move back to office-based working, fearing significant staff attrition. Despite these concerns, performance data showed clearly that remote working had not delivered the productivity or control the business required.
NorthCo was engaged through an interim CRO assignment to help the business regain operational grip and restore workplace stability.
My role
As interim CRO, I worked alongside the senior leadership team to assess operational reality and implement a structured, evidence-led plan to restore productivity, accountability, and leadership presence.
The remit required firm decision-making, careful communication, and practical implementation under conditions of resistance and uncertainty.
What mattered operationally
The core issue was not employee intent, but loss of structure.
Operational controls had been abandoned, productivity had declined, and leadership had become disconnected from day-to-day delivery. Financial oversight weakened as administrative roles expanded unchecked and cost discipline slipped.
Remote working arrangements had become inconsistent and, in some cases, unmanaged. Some employees had relocated significant distances from the office without leadership awareness, further eroding cohesion and accountability.
Crucially, the data told a clear story. Productivity, customer response times, and service quality had all deteriorated. The organisation needed visible leadership, consistent standards, and a return to operational discipline.
Outcome
A structured return-to-office plan was implemented, supported by clear contractual review, transparent communication, and tailored one-to-one engagement with affected employees.
Operational controls were reinstated, productivity rebounded, and customer response times improved materially. Administrative headcount was rationalised, restoring cost discipline and financial control.
Despite initial resistance, staff turnover was minimal. Over time, employee morale improved as structure, collaboration, and clarity returned. Leadership presence within the business strengthened, accountability improved, and operational rhythm was restored.
Twelve months later, productivity remained at its highest level, customer satisfaction had increased significantly, and operational stability was firmly re-established. The board subsequently recognised the intervention as a decisive turning point for the business.
Restoring operational control in a portfolio business experiencing performance drift
Context
A portfolio business with a strong brand and capable team had become operationally noisy. Processes had multiplied, reporting had expanded, and leadership attention had become inward-looking. Despite continued effort across the organisation, delivery against plan was inconsistent and confidence was fading.
My role
I was engaged to work alongside the CEO and senior team to reset how the business actually operated, with a focus on restoring cadence, clarity, and accountability rather than producing analysis for its own sake.
What mattered operationally
The core issue was not capability but drift. Management information had become backward-looking and explanatory rather than decision-led. Finance was absorbed in reporting rather than enabling performance. Teams were busy, but priorities were blurred and execution suffered.
The work focused on simplifying priorities, re-establishing a small number of meaningful performance measures, and restoring a clear operating rhythm that linked planning, delivery, and review.
Outcome
Execution discipline improved materially. Leadership discussions became forward-looking and action-oriented. Accountability sharpened, bottlenecks reduced, and delivery against plan became more consistent. The organisation moved from reactive management to a calmer, more controlled operating cadence.
Additional relevant work
Additional funding and investor-readiness work includes:
Additional operational reset and performance improvement work includes:
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Operational review and reset for a portfolio business experiencing siloed working, commercial drift, and inconsistent execution. Work focused on restoring operational rhythm, simplifying priorities, and reconnecting leadership activity to customer and performance outcomes.
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Independent support to a manufacturing business implementing a headcount reduction, ensuring cost savings were achieved without loss of productivity, service continuity, or operational discipline.
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Support to leadership teams in establishing effective rhythms, routines, and performance disciplines.
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Board-level input to align operational priorities with strategic intent.
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Trust and context
This work is typically undertaken in close proximity to boards, investors, and lenders, often at moments where clarity, judgement, and credibility materially influence outcomes.
Credit to Trev for enabling this mentality as well as bringing a steadiness and structure to the operating model.
In these three weeks of onboarding, I can see an organisation that has come through a turbulent time but has emerged with both a calm resilience, and an eagerness to understand and contribute to a longer term accelerated plan for the business. Credit to Trev for enabling this mentality as well as bringing a steadiness and structure to the operating model. These provide good foundations for the Executive team to build on as we head into H2.
Michael Yates – Chief Executive – Mr Fothergills Seeds