• Assess what's real and what's possible to make sound choices

  • Accelerate resolution and progress to reach your goals

  • Straight Talk Strategy℠

Real conversations aren’t the norm. Neither are we.

Achieving results in business involves making good decisions at the right time, cultivating a productive workforce, assuring plans are executed on time, delivering products and services the market wants and positioning competitively for sustainability. Even executives outfitted with the very best financial data, industry reports and leadership coaching can be confounded when their organizations miss the bull’s eye.

Here’s the good news: The underlying structure of anything will determine its behavior. Facing facts—objectively and with an open mind—can be a true game changer. Engaging authentically with reality has the power to reveal gaps in perspective and expose new angles of strategic advantage. Adopting this approach accelerates the conversion of insights into action into results.

As a structural strategist, I partner with clients on issues of highest importance to them. Often we dig into their overarching goals and plans. Sometimes we design frameworks for new initiatives. At every turn, I facilitate authentic dialog by listening intently, asking hard questions and speaking directly. The result is renewed clarity, resolution and momentum for clients.

Testimonials

Kira has been a terrific thought partner on key projects. She is a gifted strategic thinker who listens carefully, is able to sift through lots of complex information, and get to the heart of the matter. Her strategic recommendations are clear, focused, and actionable.
René Léger, Former Executive Director of Employers for Education Excellence and Consultant/Professional Coach
It was clear from the start that I was in good care. Kira’s attentiveness and synthesis were real assets in this research. Putting someone on the phone with your core customers is a scary thing. Knowing that there was a foundation of trust with Kira and that she’d be using her superior intuition allowed me to relax into the process.
Lisa Donoughe, Founder & Principal, Watershed Communications
Kira has the amazing ability to unearth, clarify, and synthesize big ideas and big questions. In a structural consultation session she did for me personally, her guidance helped me vision my way through a challenging question, holding space so I could bring my most authentic self to the process.
Kimberly Howard, Artist and Community Engagement Strategist
I’ve watched Kira inside councils and collective impact teams. She lays out a clear process without being rigid and generates results born of clarity, not coercion. The way Kira frames possibilities helps shift perspective and open eyes.
Susheela Jayapal, Community Leader and Candidate for Multnomah County Board of County Council

Taking a fresh look.

You know your industry, your offerings and the crosswinds ahead. We know strategic planning and system dynamics. We introduce a level of rigor and precision that highlights the most important issues at play be they strategic or operational. Using a structural consulting framework, we guide you through a process to deepen understanding, refine direction, simplify decision-making and accelerate results.

Portfolio of Clients

Based in U.S.: 100%
Councils and teams: 85%
Leaders: 98%

Broad Industry Experience

  • Open School logo
  • Portland Public Schools logo

Who We Are

Kira HiggsFounder & Principal
Though I am well-versed in a broad range of frameworks and models — driving strategy development, organization design, change management, continuous improvement, collective impact, innovation, design thinking and communications — I have adopted the principles of structural dynamics to guide my consultancy. Structural dynamics, as developed by author, business advisor and artist Robert Fritz, determine each and every organization’s ability to achieve their desired results. Working with senior executives and leaders, I apply these principles to cut through confusion, dissolve log jams and seize new opportunities. My industry involvement spans finance, healthcare, telecommunications, utilities, education, foundations, government, and non-profit.
Collaboration &Integrity
Integrity is at the core of my work; related to this are truth and candor. Transformational work for individuals and organizations alike begins only after one gets to the heart of matter. It calls for an unrelenting commitment to see things as they really are. My affinity for collaboration leads to co-creation and a spirit of partnership with clients and professional colleagues. I draw on an exceptional cadre of writers, designers, project managers and developers to augment client projects as needed.

The Nuts and Bolts

How We Will Work Together

Each client engagement starts with a phone call to assess the organization’s needs and the degree to which my offering is a fit. When an engagement begins, I spend two to three days onsite with your team to conduct structural analysis, rethink your strategy, develop goals to achieve strategy, and build a concrete action plan with clear accountabilities. We schedule monthly check-in calls to monitor progress and swiftly address any new structural issues as they arise. Collaboratively we discover, align and mobilize.

Structural Consultation

My work is organized around exploratory conversations with senior leaders, followed by facilitated analysis and decision-making with the leadership team. My job is to show you how to rigorously examine the most salient issues and embolden you to think beyond usual limitations. On-site work concludes with an action plan and specific accountabilities distributed across your team.

Competitive Pricing

I work on a project basis, supplemented by a 6-12 month retainer that provides continuity of outcome monitoring and structural consulting to address emerging issues.

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