COWAN GLOBAL CONSULTING

"In all things, success depends on previous preparation and, without such preparation, there is bound to be failure."     (Confucius)

Primarily a Sports & Leisure consultancy, over the years we have worked with organisations as diverse as sporting National Governing Bodies, local government, charities, private companies, television and media. Our client base has seen us working across the UK and throughout the world.

We seek to bring a fresh approach to the world of strategic planning in sport and leisure which, in recent years has become over reliant on generic, template based, 'imposition' strategies to the detriment of properly consulted, 'shared-vision' strategies and strategic thinking. Our aim is simple; to bring common sense back to the world of sport and leisure sector strategic planning.

What do we mean by this?

Each organisation will have its own issues to overcome, however some of the following may sound familiar:

• Is your organisation stuck in a rut of 3 year planning cycles, often dictated by government and lottery funding bodies, with no long term vision to determine what direction those planning cycles should be taking you in? An increasing number of sporting and third sector organisations are finding this yet struggle to change for fear of upsetting their funders. Strategic planning can be inclusive of funders needs without becoming exclusive of everything else your organisation sets out to achieve. How? Give Cowan Global Consulting a call, we can help.

• Has your organisation got confused between what is its 'Vision' and what is its 'Mission'? This is not just a sports and leisure issue, this is a major corporate issue too with recent evidence suggesting the majority of all companies struggle with this. And it is not just companies, when asked about his longer term view President Bush (senior) fumbled his words and dismissed it as "oh yeah, the vision thing". While it may be reassuring to know that even world leaders can get this wrong, it can seriously undermine both company and confidence. Bush never shook off the reputation of short-term thinker. While it may be too late the help the former President, it isn't too late to put your own long term thinking on track. Give Cowan Global Consulting a call, we can help.

• In the UK, one of England's lottery funding agencies saw fit to distribute a 'planning template' to all of its regional offices for use in developing county strategies. Many counties, to ensure funding, slavishly followed the template and overlooked the importance of consulting on local need and resource. The end result in those counties are strategies which are great to read but which base themselves on imposition, wishes and a hoped for volunteer workforce rather than on genuine need and clearly established workforce. If you need to consult with your 'grass roots', give Cowan Global Consulting a call.

• This inadequate (or even lack of) consultation is rife in many sectors and creates 'Compliance' in place of 'Commitment'. An unconsulted workforce is a compliant workforce, one which only does as asked and does not go the extra mile (or even inch!) By consulting and involving staff they get to share the dream and are committed to it and its pursuit. In some sectors where the workforce is largely voluntary, commitment is vital for in place of compliance plain refusal to help is an option. A high price to pay for cutting corners when consulting. Want your workforce committed to the cause? Give Cowan Global Consulting a call. We can help.

Our consultancy services have helped organisations in many areas, we could help you too:

• Grass roots consultation for sport - Broad, inclusive, transparent consultation. Vital intelligence for your strategy. Cut corners and rush this, you will make success far harder to achieve further down the line.
• Strategic planning - From the Mission and the Vision all the way to successful delivery.
• Sector specific 'Needs Analysis' - Ensure what you spend a fortune providing is what your customers need (and, often overlooked, want).
• Market Research - Is your product getting where you thought it was? You may have identified a gap in the market but have you checked to see if there is a market in the gap?
• Advising on sports sponsorship - Sponsorship of sport can be a fantastic method for promoting brand and brand image but in a crowded market place how do you make sure your message shouts loudest? We've advised a lot of brands, why not speak to us before signing that contract?
• Coaching - Jim has coached at world class level with top performers in a number of sports from Kenyan distance runners to Australian surfers including a world record holder and a world champion! The lessons learned can help sports coaches and business leaders alike.
• Sports Development - No, not just getting young people to be active or to join a club but the designing of bottom up/top down systems which allow talent to thrive, the masses to enjoy and welcome newcomers in.
• Event organisation & management - We've worked on some of the biggest events in the world (as well as many not so big) whether measured by size, money raised or profile. Experience worth tapping into for your event.
• Gym and facility design - We never cease to be amazed at the basic oversights in 99% of gyms and the ways in which expensive ways are found to deliver aims best done far more economically.
• Media work - We are experienced at providing expertise either in front or behind the camera or via the printed word.
• Long Term Athlete Development - Organisations around the world have come to us for advice and we are currently the only LTAD specialists in the UK utilising the most up to date seven stage model and incorporating the needs of athletes with a disability (although unfortunately, research in this area is sparse).

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CONTACT US

COWAN GLOBAL CONSULTING

3a Kildare Road

Mapperley

Nottingham NG3 3AF

United Kingdom

E: info@cowanglobal.net
T: 07802 817796
W: www.cowanglobal.net

Registered in England and Wales.
Registered office: 8 Spur Road, Cosham, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 3EB, UK.
Company No. 6573096. VAT Registration No: 933 6619 08

Website content © Cowan Global Ltd

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Email us: info@cowanglobal.net

Call us: 07802 817796

WHO HAVE WE HELPED?

A SMALL SAMPLE:

When the Police Athletic Association became Police Sport UK, we consulted across the organisation's 42 sport membership, its partners, senior officers and more before authoring their first ever National Development Strategy. We followed this up with their first ever Marketing & Communications Strategy and Equity Strategy

A number of the leading sports footwear brands have engaged our services to conduct 'shoe counts' - key pieces of market research in this highly competitive market place

When Mentorn TV were producing their 'High Performance' television documentary in Australia for Channel 4, they employed Jim Cowan as coaching and sports science consultant. The programme was later screened around the world including in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

We don't only work with national and multi national clients. When Lincolnshire Sports Partnership wanted advice on developing a new Strategy for Sport in the County, they came to us to design and implement a county wide, in depth consultation 'Aspirations for Sport in Lincolnshire.'

Jim's background in coaching has taken him around the world, in fact he has worked with sports men and women from all continents including Kenya's legendary distance runners and a spell as National Athletics Coach in Oman.

Although Jim's background is in athletics, our experience includes a number of other sports from strength & conditioning advice for BMW Motor Sport to fitness training for South of England Hockey and to development programmes for apprentice footballers at Walsall FC. Our involvement in performance sport also includes rugby union, basketball, surfing, triathlon and many others.

The Royal Air Force are among the many organisations for whom we have organised coach education opportunities, principally for coaches at RAF Cosford.

A number of local authorities both metropolitan and rural have engaged our services. They include Leeds City Council for whom we authored the City's first ever Athletics Development Strategy and also consulted on the design and equipping of the Performance Bodyline gym at South Leeds Stadium. Another example is Suffolk Coastal District Council for whom we recently consulted and produced a report on Leisure Needs for the Felixstowe and Trimleys areas for the next fifteen years.

The Flora London Marathon engaged our services to conduct shoe counts for the sports footwear industry including the world's largest ever shoe count - not to overlook the 2nd and 3rd largest too. Other big city marathons including Amsterdam and Dublin have also engaged our services.

England Athletics employed us to come up with some unique solutions for road runners in the East Midlands out of which we created the East Midlands London Marathon Squad and a group of very happy runners who set a host of personal bests. The same advice is now available to all through our Paul Evans Marathon Workshops which you can read about on our Education & Training page. England Athletics have also used our services to help the development of talented athletes and their coaches and recently asked us to help them develop a comprehensive consultation with the sport in England (watch this space!)

YOUR LOGO HERE?

Why not get in touch and find out what we can do for you!