Welcome
The forthcoming leadership session
The Kingbridge Center. King City. Ontario. February 2026
Setting the Scene
When a group like this comes together, time is precious. Therefore, this isn’t another workshop but a working session that moves the whole enterprise forward in a unified way for the future.
The Exam Question
What we refer to as the ‘exam question*’ is the single, sharply framed question that defines why a specific group is convening and what opportunity or decision they intend to resolve. It sets the purpose and bounds of the work so that the team can build a coherent answer together.
*We will continue to refine up until the last minute, but this is our current candidate:
“How do we set a unifying vision and enterprise strategy for the next 3–5 years (and beyond)(75 years)?
Sub Text: A strategy/plan that connects seven portfolios into a coherent value proposition across regions, aligns brand and go-to-market, and equips people to deliver, while being adaptable to change.”
Success looks like this:
We see the same landscape and use the same language.
We’re confident in the direction and how we’ll get there.
We leave with clear next steps and energy to act.
We are a unified team that owns the plan.
All the information we are already collecting will be distilled into the visual frameworks that will be created in the venue.
Together, we will continue to evolve it into the structured, ‘ready-to-use’ system based on the Strategic Choice Cascade already familiar to Drake.
For example, this is a simple yet still hypothetical strawman of that system. It’s profound in its implications, but easy to grasp.
Strategy As An Integrative Set Of Choices
They position us on the playing field of our choice so we win. That requires us to know why we chose that playing field so that we can describe the actions coherently. We need to develop the strategy (theory) to the best of our ability, doing so logically.
What must be true to achieve this or that and work out the way we hope. And we know everything will change, so we must keep the plan flexible.
A big hat tip to Roger Martin
We’ll use our proven method.
It’s called Structured Visual Thinking™. It’s practical, visual, and designed to get to clarity fast. Think of it as a map for conversations that matter, the ones that align people, sharpen choices, and turn ideas into action.
The time we are spending together is about shared understanding and momentum. We want everyone pulling in the same direction, even if we’ve joined the journey at different points.
Who We Are:
We were clients ourselves and couldn’t get the objectivity we needed from external advisors. We come with no pre-cooked answers.
Our role is to help you, Drake’s leaders, to co-create the first edition of a strategy blueprint that smaller teams can develop and apply.
We’ll ask sharp questions, sometimes uncomfortable ones, to reveal what matters most.
Our approach has helped leadership teams move from vague ambition to a clear, visual roadmap that every site can own. That’s the power of a shared visual logic. Some of the Podcasts we’ve done recently.
Some Use Cases:
How We’ll Work
In the lead-up to the retreat, we’ll hold targeted leadership conversations, designed to build early insight and avoid fatigue. They will be energising and practical.
The more we gather before the session, the faster we can move to decisions in the room.
What to Expect in the Room
When you arrive, you’ll see large white walls. The emerging visual frameworks will be partially created on the walls. They’re working tools, pre-loaded with stimulus drawn from our research and your context.
What We’ll Build Together
We’ll guide the group through each part of it, focusing on the conversation each part suggests, and in the process, understand real challenges/opportunities and arrive at meaningful outcomes.
The space will be open, conversational, and judgment-free. We’ll take breaks mid-morning, at lunch, and mid-afternoon, finishing around 5:30 pm each day.
There will be no awkward ice-breakers, just purposeful discussion, captured visually as we go.
By the end, we’ll have:
A shared set of outcomes and intentions.
A collective understanding of the value and impact we aim to deliver.
A working vision of the future that can inspire and unite.
A view of the risks and constraints to navigate.
Clarity on the capabilities and skills we’ll need.
Agreement on immediate next steps and how we’ll sustain progress.
The principles that will keep this work coherent and governed over time.
After the Session
Everything we do will be captured visually. We’ll translate that into practical tools, playbooks, digital maps, and communications materials to extend alignment across the organisation.
This retreat isn’t the end, it’s the launch of the future for Drake - it’s the springboard.
The work that follows will turn what we create together into the operating system for Drake’s next phase.
Appendices - FAQ’s & Glossary
What does Group Partners do?
We help leaders and teams make strategies that work. In practice, we analyse your situation, convene the right people, and guide structured conversations that turn tough questions into clear decisions and action.
How does Structured Visual Thinking™ work?
We use logical, visual frameworks to focus the conversations that matter and co‑create a single “blueprint” for where to go and how to get there. Everyone sees the whole picture at once, which sharpens debate and accelerates decisions.
What makes you different from traditional consulting?
We do not aim to become a dependency. We have no dog in the fight. We are fast, immersive and collaborative. There is no army of juniors, no bias to a single specialism, and your team actively builds the answer in real time.
How do technology and AI support the work?
Our evolving platform, Mezzanine™, captures every insight, framework and decision in one secure place. It includes assistants trained on 25 years of our material to surface context, precedents, and blind spots quickly. Technology informs; humans decide.
Do we need live sessions, or can this be done remotely?
Much can be done virtually (surveys, interviews, reviews), and we often run hybrid programmes. We still recommend a key live session, because the in‑room energy and trust materially improve the result. Ownership and genuine engagement.
Why do you use surveys and assessments?
It allows us to get everyone's fingerprints on the future thinking. They surface the organisation’s reality up front, give every voice a say, and establish a baseline we can track over time.
What kinds of challenges can you help with?
Any complex, high‑stakes question that needs clarity, alignment and a way forward, from strategy and transformation to brand repositioning, market entry, innovation and turnarounds.
Is the approach repeatable?
Yes, very much so. We leave you with a living strategic system, not a binder. The Mezzanine™ option also keeps the work active, and we train your team so you can reuse and extend it.
How fast do we get results?
Key decisions are made in days, not months. Complete programs typically run 8 to 12 weeks, depending on the ‘exam question.’
Who needs to be involved?
Decision‑makers and those critical to delivery, plus broader input through surveys. Senior leaders should be present at key moments to sustain momentum.
What do we get and who owns it?
You get the answer to the challenge (the plan and the narrative) owned by those who will be implementing it, high‑quality visual artefacts, supporting documents, and, where relevant, platform access. All graphics and documents we create are yours.
Does it work?
Clients return and refer over many decades. Audits and testimonials point to material performance gains, risk avoided, and contributions to major wins.
Where do you work?
We are London‑based and work globally in person and virtually. We travel to clients' locations or nearby venues that suit and conduct sessions there.
Group Partners Glossary
Structured Visual Thinking™ (SVT)
A disciplined way to think together. It combines logic, systems thinking, and live visual mapping to help leaders see the whole picture at once, debate productively, and decide faster. It turns confusion into clarity.
Framework Science™
The underlying logic engine of our work. It defines how questions, models, and measures interconnect. Framework Science ensures that every framework we build is coherent, reusable, and linked from insight to action.
Framework
A structured map of how a system works, its goals, drivers, enablers, and dependencies. Frameworks hold the logic that guides decisions, roles, and actions.
Modules
The (component) parts of a framework. Each module explores a distinct theme or system (e.g. Market, Operations, Brand, Culture) but connects logically and systemically to the others.
Blueprint
The visual summary of a complete framework – the single shared picture of strategy, actions, and accountability. It replaces hundreds of slides with one living map.
Exam Question
The core strategic challenge we are helping to answer. It is the anchor for every framework and conversation. Without a clear Exam Question, everything else is noise.
Integrity Dimensions
The non-negotiables that define what ‘good’ looks like – principles, ethics, standards, or performance thresholds that ensure alignment and sustainability.
Lifecycle Phases
The stages of a strategy or system, from inception to delivery and renewal. Each phase has its own goals, decisions, and feedback loops.
Mezzanine™
Our digital platform that keeps frameworks alive. It captures the logic, insights, and evidence behind every decision, providing continuity and governance as teams move from design to delivery.
Machines Inform; Humans Decide.
A guiding belief. Technology accelerates analysis, but imagination, judgement, and integrity remain (our) human responsibilities.