The Company of Master Jewellers
From a room full of ideas to clearly defined priorities and a five-year roadmap.
We helped the board and leadership team of the Company of Master Jewellers (CMJ) agree where to focus next, then turned that agreement into a practical plan the whole team owns.
The challenge
For more than 40 years, CMJ has brought together independent retail jewellers and the suppliers who serve them. It has a loyal membership, well-respected trade events and a leadership team that cares deeply about the future of independent retail.
But the ground was shifting. High street footfall is falling, independents face pressure from online competitors and cheaper products, and members need more clarity than ever on the benefits.
CMJ was at a crossroads, with plenty of good routes ahead and no shared map to choose between them. It's a common place for a successful organisation to find itself after a long run of doing things well.
The solution
We took CMJ on a journey from shared understanding to shared ownership and direction, starting with the board and working down into the business.
Agree what matters. A day with the board to talk honestly about where CMJ stands and land on four strategic priorities.
Map the way forward. A workshop with the senior leadership team to turn those priorities into a five-year roadmap, with clear measures of success.
Make it stick. A planning day with the wider team to break the roadmap into the next 12 to 18 months of work, with an owner for every project.
The workshops were only part of it. Alongside them, we worked closely with Patrick Turner, CMJ's Managing Director, and the chair of the board. Regular conversations between sessions meant they could test their thinking, work through the tricky bits and lead the process with confidence, rather than simply take part in it.
The results
CMJ now has a board aligned on one set of clear priorities, and a leadership team that helped build the plan to deliver them. In short, it has a pathway to success.
Clear direction. Four strategic priorities, each with a reason it matters, and a picture of what success looks like.
A practical roadmap. A five-year plan split into foundation, growth and leadership phases, with KPIs attached to each priority.
Ownership. A timeline plan where every project has a named owner and a deadline.
Fewer surprises. Gaps and capacity pressures spotted early, so the team can deal with them before they slow things down.
“By bringing the board, leadership team, and wider team into that process, we created a clear roadmap that everyone can understand and own. It has given us real clarity about where we are going, why we are going there and how we get there, while staying true to what makes the CMJ special. Most importantly, it gives me confidence that we are building something that will serve the CMJ and its members well for many years to come.”
Patrick Turner, Managing Director, Company of Master Jewellers
