Decisions before structure
We map who decides what, today and in practice, before anyone redraws a reporting line.
Operating advisory for founder-led companies
Your company has grown. The way it runs hasn’t.
Ferrars & Hale works with founders of companies between 20 and 200 people. We redesign how decisions get made, who owns what, and the weekly rhythm that keeps a leadership team honest, so growth stops depending on you.
- WhoCompanies of 20–200 people
- WhereFounder-led, across the UK and Europe
- HowFixed scope, fixed fee, agreed up front
§ 01 Signs
Five signs the company has outgrown its operating model
None of these are failures. They’re what happens when a company grows faster than the way it’s run.
- i.
Every decision still routes through you.
Your calendar is the company’s bottleneck, and everyone knows it, including you.
- ii.
Your leadership team reports in, but doesn’t run anything.
Senior people bring you problems instead of decisions, because nobody agreed what they own.
- iii.
Meetings multiply and nothing closes.
The same topics return every week, because no forum is allowed to settle them.
- iv.
Hiring senior people hasn’t bought you time.
Each new leader adds a reporting line, not a release of load.
- v.
The numbers arrive late and disagree with each other.
Three versions of the truth, reconciled by hand the night before the board meeting.
§ 02 Approach
We work on the operating model, not the org chart.
Restructures change the boxes. We change the decisions the boxes make, which is usually where the real problem lives.
Cadence over heroics
A good week shouldn’t depend on the founder’s energy. We install a rhythm of meetings the team runs without you.
Fewer, better numbers
One scorecard, each line owned by a named person, reviewed on the same day every week.
“If it isn’t written down, it hasn’t been decided.”
§ 03 Engagements
Three ways to work together
Every engagement begins with a diagnostic call. Fees are fixed and agreed in writing before any work starts.
01
Diagnostic call
A structured conversation about where the company is stuck. You’ll get a written summary within two working days and a straight answer on whether we can help.
- Before the call: a short questionnaire
- During: decisions, meetings and numbers
- After: a one-page written summary
02 Core engagement
The Operating Review
A six-week engagement to redesign how the company is run, built with your leadership team rather than handed to them.
- Decision-rights map for the leadership team
- Weekly, monthly and quarterly meeting cadence
- One scorecard with named owners
- A 90-day implementation plan
- Two working sessions with your leadership team
03
Retained counsel
A standing seat beside the founder once the new operating model is in place, for the decisions that are hard to make alone.
- Monthly leadership session
- Review of the scorecard and decision log
- On call for hiring and restructuring decisions
§ 04 Process
The Operating Review, week by week
Six weeks in four stages. Each stage ends with something written down that the team keeps, whether or not we stay on afterwards.
-
Week 1
Listen
Interviews with you and each member of the leadership team. We read the documents, sit in on the meetings and follow three recent decisions from start to finish.
You getA written picture of how the company really runs
-
Weeks 2–3
Map
We map decision rights, meetings and numbers, and mark where they conflict, overlap or go missing altogether.
You getDecision-rights map and meeting audit
-
Week 4
Design
Together we design the new cadence, the scorecard and who owns each line of it. Nothing is final until the team has argued with it.
You getOperating cadence and scorecard
-
Weeks 5–6
Install
We run the first full cycle with you, adjust what doesn’t fit and hand over a plan the team can run for the next 90 days.
You get90-day implementation plan
A good fit if
- You founded the company and still run it
- You have between 20 and 200 people
- You have a leadership team, or are hiring one
- You want to step back from daily decisions without stepping away
Probably not a fit if
- You need an interim COO to run operations for you
- You’re looking for a restructure or cost-cutting programme
- The company needs a turnaround specialist, not an adviser
§ 05 Book a call
Forty-five minutes, one honest conversation
We’ll ask how decisions get made today, where things stall and what you’ve already tried. You’ll get a written summary within two working days, whether or not we work together.
- Video call with a partner
- 45 minutes, no charge
- Written summary within two working days
Ferrars & Hale · Scheduling
- Type
- Date & time
- Details
Diagnostic call · 45 minutes · Video call
Time held
This is a concept website, so no booking was made. In a live build, Acuity would send the calendar invite and the questionnaire.
§ 06 Enquire
Prefer to write first?
Tell us a little about the company. We read every enquiry and reply within two working days, either with times to talk or with an honest note if we’re not the right fit.
Concept form: nothing is sent. In a live build, each enquiry would reach the firm’s CRM with these answers attached, and the reply would be drafted for a partner to approve.
Are you a replacement for a COO?
No. We help you design the role, and the operating model around it, so that a COO inherits something that already works. Some founders hire one after the Review; some find they no longer need to.
How is the fee set?
After the diagnostic call we send a one-page proposal with a fixed fee for the Operating Review. It depends on the size of the leadership team, not on hours spent. There are no day rates, and no extensions without your agreement.
Do you work in person?
Usually a mix. Interviews and working sessions happen in person where we can, and the rest is remote. We work with companies across the UK and Europe.
How much of my team’s time will it take?
About an hour a week from each member of the leadership team, plus two half-day working sessions. Founders spend a little more, mostly in the first and last weeks.
What happens after the six weeks?
You’ll have a 90-day plan the team can run on its own. Some founders keep us on retained counsel while the new rhythm settles. It’s optional and rolls quarterly.
Will you talk about our company elsewhere?
No. We sign a confidentiality agreement before the first working session and never name the companies we work with, on this website or anywhere else.