Case Study
Making Strategy Real: Activating Growth Through Client Prioritization and Collaboration
Background
With 10,000+ employees across infrastructure, energy, and environmental sectors, the firm set a bold ambition: to be recognized as the premier environment and sustainability consultancy at the intersection of digital, developed, and natural worlds.
But strategy on paper isn’t enough. To achieve the vision, the North American Environment Market needed to move from intent to activation through embedding client prioritization, breaking down silos, and equipping teams with practical tools that connect day-to-day actions to long-term growth.
The Challenge
Despite strong technical expertise, three obstacles stood in the way of turning vision into reality:
- Client-Centric Mindset: Shifting from “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM) to “What’s in it for my client?” (WIIFMC); a pervasive challenge in aligning teams around strategic delivery.
- Unfocused Priorities. Strategic themes (e.g., Decarbonization, Emerging Contaminants) risked losing impact without clear client alignment.
- Scattered Pursuits. Teams often chased “one-off” opportunities, diluting efforts and stretching resources thin.
- Siloed Knowledge. Best practices lived in pockets, making it hard to scale successes across markets and regions.
The goal: Transform the Core by embedding new mindsets, improving pursuit discipline, and creating space for innovation.
The Strategy: Embedding Client Prioritization & Knowledge Sharing
The activation model focused on three pillars:
- Client Prioritization (CP). Concentrate on the 20% of clients generating 80%+ of revenue, aligning top talent and resources to deepen long-term relationships and reduce distractions.
- Knowledge Hub (KH). Establish a one-stop platform for service line strategies, pursuit tools, winning work resources, client experience practices, and case studies ensuring easy, repeatable access to what works.
- Strategy Horizons. A phased roadmap that begins with FY24 focus on Nexus Solutions and intentional partnerships (Water, Transportation, Property & Buildings, Advisory, Digital), then scales innovation and integration through FY25–27 to lead in Future Communities, Energy, and Water.
Actions for Growth
- Rolled out the Knowledge Hub as a central repository for plans, templates, and case studies.
- Trained service line leaders on embedding Client Prioritization into decision-making and delivery.
- Launched storytelling campaigns to highlight pursuit wins and demonstrate visible proof of impact.
- Built cross-sector collaboration with Digital, Advisory, and other practices to embed integrated solutions.
- Promoted and exemplified a mindset shift from “What’s in it for me?” to “What’s in it for the team AND my client?” to build collective accountability.
Early Results & Traction
- Stronger Pursuit Discipline. Service line leads reported reduced noise and more focus on high-value clients.
- Improved Win Rates. Key pursuits gained traction as teams aligned earlier and used shared tools.
- Greater Knowledge Sharing. More leaders used the Knowledge Hub to align teams and replicate best practices.
- Cultural Shift. Teams reported greater clarity on how daily choices contribute to the firm’s broader vision.
Key Takeaway
The Environment Market translated strategy into daily practice—proving that activation is about consistent micro-steps, not just bold statements. By embedding client prioritization and creating practical tools, the North American team built confidence, discipline, and momentum toward long-term growth.
