Shape: Bringing strategies to life

When we created Fellshore, we wanted to be clear with our clients about what we deliver and how we can help. Out of that came four distinct areas of work: Shape, Engage, Activate and Deliver.

At Fellshore, we believe that strategy only matters to people when it is lived and breathed by an organisation. That’s why Shape is such an important part of what we do.

We’ve seen too many strategies that look impressive on paper but are never brought to life and used as the north star for organisations and their stakeholders. This can happen for a number of reasons:

1. Too long and complicated

   Strategies often try to cover every angle, with pages of evidence, theory, and detail in the final document. That depth matters, it provides the foundation and credibility behind the plan. But the way a strategy is communicated needs to be simple, memorable, and easy to talk about in everyday conversations. If people can’t explain it, they won’t use it or act on it. The art lies in holding onto the depth while translating it into something that makes sense and inspires people to engage.

   
   

2. Only owned by leadership or management

   Another common pitfall is when strategy sits only with senior teams. In these cases, it rarely connects with the wider workforce, who play a fundamental role in delivering it. This is where strong internal communications become essential. When people understand not just what the strategy is, but why it matters and how their work contributes, they are far more engaged and motivated.

   Strategy, employee engagement, and internal communications can’t thrive in isolation. The stronger the strategy, the clearer it is to people, and the more they feel part of the journey to deliver it. The result is a strategy that succeeds  and teams that thrive.

3. Not translated externally

   A strategy should guide how an organisation is understood by its stakeholders. Too often, strategies are treated as internal documents only. But if stakeholders can’t see the link between what you say you stand for and what you actually do, the strategy quickly loses credibility. This is why investment in corporate communications is so important. Best-practice comms isn’t just about media relations, it’s about a clear, integrated approach that builds credibility, manages reputation, and makes strategy visible. Models like PESO (Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned) provide a framework for doing this well, ensuring the right messages reach the right audiences through the right channels. At Fellshore, we shout this from the rooftops because we know communications isn’t an add-on, it’s central to both strategy development and implementation.

   
   

4. One of many unconnected strategies

   Organisations often end up with multiple strategies that aren’t aligned  - whether internal (corporate, digital, people, sustainability) or external (Net Zero, skills, inclusive growth). Each of these matter, and we would never suggest they aren’t needed, but the challenge comes when they are developed in silos, with different structures, tones of voice, or measures of success and stakeholders son’t simply understand the connection between them. The most effective approach is to design them consistently, with a golden thread running through. If it’s a sub-strategy, the critical question is: how does it help deliver the overarching aims of the organisation?

For us, Shape is about making sure strategies pass these tests. When strategy is clear, shared, and embedded, it doesn’t just sit on a shelf, it becomes part of the culture, the language, and the decision-making that drives impact.

We absolutely love working with teams on this. It makes us genuinely happy and proud to see the positive impact and real shifts that happen when organisations invest in making strategy meaningful.

If you’d like to know more, get in touch and read how we worked with the wonderful RTC North on this process, creating a beautiful partnership along the way.