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Developing a cutting-edge strategy at Monash University

“There are 2 types of consulting firms, those flattering your ego and those helping you address your most challenging issues. Orange Squid is one of the latter.”

Background

Universities are evolving rapidly in response to dynamic internal and external pressures, redefining how they operate to stay competitive and relevant. Monash University’s Buildings and Property Division (BPD) stood at the forefront of this transformation, managing one of the largest property portfolios in the country valued at billions of dollars.

With its three-year developmental strategy coming to an end, BPD sought to develop a new strategy to ensure its extensive property portfolio would continue to thrive and meet the needs of its diverse customer base—including faculty, students, and broader stakeholders. The challenge was clear: develop an innovative strategy that not only addressed existing paradigms but also created a foundation for world-class facilities and services for the future.

How We Helped

To meet this challenge, Monash BPD turned to Orange Squid for a fresh, collaborative, best-practice strategy development process. Our approach focused on clarity, alignment, and innovation every step of the way.

  1. Discovery and Alignment
    • We began with the division’s directors and executive team, facilitating hands-on workshops to uncover and align on the core business challenges.
    • This internal work laid the foundation for a broader exploration of external perspectives.
  2. Stakeholder Research
    • We conducted in-depth exploratory research with a wide range of stakeholders, including faculty, students, and university leadership, to capture diverse insights and needs.
    • This ensured the strategy was built on a 360-degree understanding of the organisation’s ecosystem.
  1. Strategy Development:
    Leveraging cutting-edge frameworks and methodologies, we guided the leadership team through a collaborative process to develop the strategy, with expert facilitation from our team.
  1. Holistic Approach
    • Orange Squid’s multi-disciplinary expertise ensured the strategy was not only innovative but also people-focused. Astrid’s organisational psychology expertise ensured that the “people piece” was fully integrated, enabling a holistic approach to strategy execution.

Results

  1. Strong leadership alignment around a bold, new direction for BPD
  2. A strategy centred around specific, actionable objectives, supported by detailed implementation plans, measurable metrics, and guiding principles that reflected BPD’s core values.
  3. A comprehensive ‘First 100 Days’ guide which helped BPD hit the ground running and brought the change to life from day 1
  4. A people-centric change management plan, with clear guidance around supporting a change in organisational behaviour, in line with the new strategy
  5. The implementation of a robust Innovation Program
  6. A continued partnership between Orange Squid and BPD which enabled the Division to sustain and maximise the value of its strategic efforts

“The balance of capabilities and the dynamic between Astrid, Mark and Chris results in a surgical assessment of the problem, a documented development of options and an innovative decision process.”

There are 2 types of consulting firms, those flattering your ego and those helping you address your most challenging issues. Orange Squid is one of the latter. The balance of capabilities and the dynamic between Astrid, Mark and Chris results in a surgical assessment of the problem, a documented development of options and an innovative decision process. Always one step ahead, Orange Squid delivers the extra service and advice that will position your executive team in the best situation to perform.

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