‘Seeing’ Roundtable #1 – The Hidden Threads of Strategy: Seeing Beyond the Pieces

This week at IDEA London, we gathered a select group of thought leaders for a closed-door roundtable to step back from the noise of daily operations and look at the bigger picture of organisational strategy.

Too often, strategy feels like piecing together a jigsaw without the box lid – each team focused on their corner, but without a shared vision. Our afternoon together set out to change that.

Machines, Assets, People

The conversation was framed around three lenses:

• Machines – How can we harness data and AI responsibly, not just for efficiency, but for augmentation and meaningful impact?
• Assets – What does asset management look like in a systems context, balancing optimisation with long-term resilience?
• People – How do leadership, culture, and capability shape the way we respond to these challenges?

Each theme was introduced with a short provocation before flowing into open discussion. What followed was a candid exchange of experiences – from the unintended consequences of workplace design to the cultural balance between transformation and continuity.

Shared Insights

Several threads stood out across the afternoon:

• Continuity matters as much as change. Transformation isn’t always about disruption; preserving culture and legacy can be just as powerful.
• Experiments aren’t the only path to learning. Failure is already embedded in everyday business processes – acknowledging it openly can drive healthier innovation.
• Approach can magnify impact. Boldly combining activity from ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ can powerfully connect senior leaders with grassroots and cut through bureaucracy.
• We are all part of the problem. Many agreed that leaders themselves can contribute to systemic issues, and progress starts by recognising our own role.
• Collaboration beyond the room is vital. Participants called for lightweight, ongoing ways to share challenges and create impactful outcomes – whether through follow-up meetings, expanding the group in future sessions, or simply a direct and open communication channel between those present.

What’s Next?

Rather than a one-off, the consensus was clear: this dialogue should continue. Plans are already underway to reconvene in a few months, hosted in North Yorkshire, keeping the format open, diverse, and practical.

Why It Matters

Events like this remind us that strategy isn’t built in silos. By connecting machines, assets, and people in one conversation, we uncover the interdependencies that too often remain hidden.

As one participant summed it up: the value comes not from having all the answers, but from seeing the problem differently together.

We left not just with ideas, but with connections, challenges, and a renewed sense of shared purpose.