Compass Points Talks to
Actoras CEO, Darlene Pinkowski, and Managing Partner, John Frank

Actoras Consulting Group, with headquarters in the Chicago area, is a group of seasoned management consultants who specialize in helping clients nationwide align their people, process, and technology enablers to support their strategic business objectives. Examples of their work include the development of e-business strategies, the coordination of Information Technology (IT) mergers and acquisitions, and the management of large-scale corporate projects. Compass Points (CP) recently spoke with CEO Darlene Pinkowski and Managing Partner John Frank about the contribution of Simplified Strategic Planning (SSP) to their dramatic success as a young, high growth service provider faced with a highly dynamic marketplace.

CP: You were a very young company when you first explored formal strategic planning. Why did you choose SSP?

Darlene: Our industry and the needs of our clients change very rapidly. It is not uncommon for us to make a fundamental change in our strategy in the middle of the year. If you don’t have a disciplined methodology for making those changes in all aspects of your business, you’ll fall behind the competition.

CP: You are a company that specializes in bringing processes to businesses. Did that make it easier or more difficult to adopt the SSP process?

John: Initially, it was more difficult for us because we needed to swallow our own medicine. Once we got through the first year cycle, we knew we had accomplished a lot. From that point forward, we embraced the process, and consequently, we’re getting consistent results from it.

CP: Over the 3 years you have used SSP, how has it benefited Actoras?

Darlene: It has helped us to not only focus on our changing industry and the actions we must take to be the best, but it has also forced us to examine the factors that influence the decisions we make. This helps us know each other better as a management team. The most tangible benefit from SSP has been our ability to sustain a 48 percent sales growth rate while improving our profitability.

CP: What else has SSP permitted you to do that would likely not have happened otherwise?

John: Mainly aligning our infrastructure needs to our business growth. We have a pretty good handle on determining our sales and delivery objectives, but it’s easy to overlook the fact that you need to upgrade your server or hire a resource manager until it’s too late.

CP: Has SSP helped you avoid any major pitfalls?

John: Without it, we would have over-estimated our ability to get stuff done. The process forces you to evaluate your priorities and the realistic amount of time you can devote to those priorities throughout the year. The monthly follow-up sessions help you address the required actions methodically and incrementally.

CP: What are the most valuable parts of the SSP process for Actoras?

Darlene: The evaluation of our strategic direction and the definition of our annual action steps are the most valuable aspects of the process. The first because it allows us to brainstorm and dream about what we want to be and where we want to go. The second because it is concrete and forces us to get the job done.

CP: What is the role of strategic planning in your overall business activity today?

John: It is absolutely critical to what we’ve achieved and where we are going. It plays a regular role in our day-to-day activities. Barely a week goes by that we aren’t either specifically addressing some strategic planning issue or discussing the next steps of an action item.

CP: How has your focus shifted over the years you have used SSP?

Darlene: It’s become much more clear and defined. When we first started the company in 1993, we wanted to create an umbrella organization that allowed talented and proven management consultants to do pretty much whatever they wanted without the hassles of running their own business. As we got bigger and our projects became more complex, it became apparent that that model would not work anymore. The strategic planning process has helped us to continually narrow and crystallize our direction.

CP: You have a website. What is the URL? Are there some “goodies” on it that would be interesting to Compass Points readers?

John: www.actoras.com Unlike many consulting firms, we actually have our high level methodology right on our website for people to see. We also include articles that were written by members of our firm that cover a variety of organizational, process and technology topics that should have interest for Compass Points readers.

Return to Interview Listings