Mastering TUNA
Mastering TUNA
Mastering TUNA
Advisory for strategic agency
Seeing differently. Navigating drift.
Seeing differently. Navigating drift.
When developments outpace interpretation, organisations can lose their bearings. Established assumptions weaken, familiar relationships shift, and the distance between intention and consequence grows. Yet leaders must still allocate capital, sustain performance and decide which opportunities to pursue.
When developments outpace interpretation, organisations can lose their bearings. Established assumptions weaken, familiar relationships shift, and the distance between intention and consequence grows. Yet leaders must still allocate capital, sustain performance and decide which opportunities to pursue.
AYN helps organisations develop strategic agency: the collective capacity to form judgements, mobilise resources and shape their position within conditions they cannot fully control.
AYN helps organisations develop strategic agency: the collective capacity to form judgements, mobilise resources and shape their position within conditions they cannot fully control.
TUNA / The strategic predicament
Turbulence, uncertainty, novelty and ambiguity describe the interdependent features of this predicament. They also open possibilities for those able to recognise and engage with them.
Turbulence, uncertainty, novelty and ambiguity describe the interdependent features of this predicament. They also open possibilities for those able to recognise and engage with them.
Turbulence, uncertainty, novelty and ambiguity describe the interdependent features of this predicament. They also open possibilities for those able to recognise and engage with them.
Turbulence
Turbulence
Interacting disturbances reconfigure the context of action. Familiar relationships become unreliable, effects propagate across organisational boundaries, and responses can generate further disruption.
Interacting disturbances reconfigure the context of action. Familiar relationships become unreliable, effects propagate across organisational boundaries, and responses can generate further disruption.
Uncertainty
Uncertainty
The limits of knowledge, models and anticipation prevent confident assessment of future consequences. Some uncertainty can be reduced; some persists because actors and conditions continue to evolve.
The limits of knowledge, models and anticipation prevent confident assessment of future consequences. Some uncertainty can be reduced; some persists because actors and conditions continue to evolve.
Novelty
Novelty
Emerging developments exceed established categories, experience or capabilities. Their significance cannot be established simply by extrapolating from what is already known.
Emerging developments exceed established categories, experience or capabilities. Their significance cannot be established simply by extrapolating from what is already known.
Ambiguity
Ambiguity
Events, evidence and experience sustain competing interpretations of what is happening, what matters and what constitutes legitimate action.
Events, evidence and experience sustain competing interpretations of what is happening, what matters and what constitutes legitimate action.
These phenomena interact. Their significance lies in how they alter an organisation’s understanding, exposure and capacity to act.
These phenomena interact. Their significance lies in how they alter an organisation’s understanding, exposure and capacity to act.
Developing strategic agency
Developing strategic agency
Developing strategic agency
Through Sense, Shape and Steer, we interrogate the frames guiding decisions, develop the arrangements that make action possible, and navigate the drift between intention and unfolding reality. The ambition is to preserve viability while expanding the possibilities for action and value creation.
Sense, Shape and Steer connect throughout the work. Each can change the questions, commitments and possibilities encountered in the others.
Sense, Shape and Steer connect throughout the work. Each can change the questions, commitments and possibilities encountered in the others.
Sense
Seeing differently.
What becomes visible when we question the frame?
Organisations act through selective representations of the world: forecasts, accounts, categories and narratives.
AYN examines how those representations shape judgement, where their assumptions become unreliable, and which dependencies or emerging possibilities remain outside the frame.
and which dependencies or emerging possibilities remain outside the frame.
Sense
Seeing differently.
What becomes visible when we question the frame?
Organisations act through selective representations of the world: forecasts, accounts, categories and narratives.
AYN examines how those representations shape judgement, where their assumptions become unreliable,
and which dependencies or emerging possibilities remain outside the frame.
Sense
Seeing differently.
What becomes visible when we question the frame?
Organisations act through selective representations of the world: forecasts, accounts, categories and narratives.
AYN examines how those representations shape judgement, where their assumptions become unreliable,
and which dependencies or emerging possibilities remain outside the frame.
Interrogating the basis of judgement
Interrogating the basis of judgement
Interrogating the basis of judgement
A number becomes decision-relevant through choices about boundaries, reference points, time horizons and what counts as performance. A precise calculation can still offer an incomplete account of the situation.
We examine the assumptions behind forecasts, budgets and indicators, their sensitivity to changing conditions, and the behaviour they encourage. We also test how equivalent propositions are understood when framed as gains, losses or departures from an expected outcome.
Evidence, interpretation and lived experience can point in different directions. An aggregate benefit does not settle who bears the costs, which consequences are acceptable or what makes a course of action legitimate. AYN brings these distinctions into the decision rather than allowing them to remain hidden within an apparent disagreement about facts.
What supports this judgement?
What supports this judgement?
What supports this judgement?
What remains outside the account?
What remains outside the account?
What remains outside the account?
What would warrant a different decision?
What would warrant a different decision?
What would warrant a different decision?
Shape
Organising the capacity to act.
Strategic agency depends on how authority, resources and commitments are organised. Insight becomes consequential when people can coordinate action across different mandates, interests and dependencies.
Shape
Organising the capacity to act.
Organising the capacity to act.
Strategic agency depends on how authority, resources and commitments are organised. Insight becomes consequential when people can coordinate action across different mandates, interests and dependencies.
AYN helps shape decision rights, governance and partnerships around the work to be done. We examine where responsibilities are fragmented, incentives pull in different directions, or exposure extends beyond the authority available to manage it.
The design of choices matters too. Defaults, reference points, feedback and the presentation of options influence what people notice and do. We use these insights to support informed judgement and make agreed action easier to carry through, preserving meaningful choice.
The objective is a workable relationship between strategic intent, collective commitment and the capacity to implement.
The objective is a workable relationship between strategic intent, collective commitment and the capacity to implement.
Drift can reveal an emerging opportunity, a failing assumption, an unrecognised dependency or a measure that no longer captures what matters. Its significance has to be judged.
AYN connects evidence from implementation with decisions about capital, priorities and organisational arrangements. We help distinguish temporary variation from developments that warrant maintaining, revising, expanding or ending a commitment.
Purpose provides criteria for choice. Monitoring tests assumptions. Governance connects what is learned with the authority and resources needed to act.
Steer
Steer
Steer
Navigating drift.
Navigating drift.
Navigating drift.
Drift is the evolving divergence between intentions, the representations used to guide action, organisational arrangements and unfolding consequences.
Drift is the evolving divergence between intentions, the representations used to guide action, organisational arrangements and unfolding consequences.
Drift is the evolving divergence between intentions, the representations used to guide action, organisational arrangements and unfolding consequences.
Drift can reveal an emerging opportunity, a failing assumption, an unrecognised dependency or a measure that no longer captures what matters. Its significance has to be judged.
AYN connects evidence from implementation with decisions about capital, priorities and organisational arrangements. We help distinguish temporary variation from developments that warrant maintaining, revising, expanding or ending a commitment.
Purpose provides criteria for choice. Monitoring tests assumptions. Governance connects what is learned with the authority and resources needed to act.
CAPACITY TO BENEFIT
Creating options for what emerges.
Creating options for what emerges.
Creating options for what emerges.
Uncertainty changes the value of flexibility, learning and commitment. An organisation’s ability to benefit depends partly on how its exposure is structured and which options it can actually exercise.
Uncertainty changes the value of flexibility, learning and commitment. An organisation’s ability to benefit depends partly on how its exposure is structured and which options it can actually exercise.
We examine concentrated dependencies, irreversible commitments and the cost of retaining alternatives. Where appropriate, staged investment and bounded experiments can limit exposure while generating evidence for subsequent decisions.
We examine concentrated dependencies, irreversible commitments and the cost of retaining alternatives. Where appropriate, staged investment and bounded experiments can limit exposure while generating evidence for subsequent decisions.
The capacity to benefit also depends on being able to expand what works, stop what does not and redirect resources. That requires decision rights, available capacity and arrangements that allow learning to affect commitments.
The capacity to benefit also depends on being able to expand what works, stop what does not and redirect resources. That requires decision rights, available capacity and arrangements that allow learning to affect commitments.
Value creation depends on preserving the capacity to act while developing possibilities that the original plan could not specify.
Value creation depends on preserving the capacity to act while developing possibilities that the original plan could not specify.
Where strategic agency matters
Strategy and organisational transformation
When established assumptions no longer support strategic choices, or organisational arrangements constrain the ability to respond. AYN connects interpretation of the context with priorities, decision rights and the allocation of resources.
Finance and investment
When commitments depend on uncertain cash flows, performance or impact. We examine the assumptions and dependencies behind the proposition, the distribution of exposure, and the governance needed to sustain credible commitments as conditions evolve.
Nature and landscapes
When ecological processes, ownership, public interests and funding operate across different boundaries and time horizons. AYN helps connect evidence, collaboration and financing arrangements with the conditions required for long-term ecological and organisational viability.
Where strategic agency matters
Strategy and organisational transformation
When established assumptions no longer support strategic choices, or organisational arrangements constrain the ability to respond. AYN connects interpretation of the context with priorities, decision rights and the allocation of resources.
Finance and investment
When commitments depend on uncertain cash flows, performance or impact. We examine the assumptions and dependencies behind the proposition, the distribution of exposure, and the governance needed to sustain credible commitments as conditions evolve.
Nature and landscapes
When ecological processes, ownership, public interests and funding operate across different boundaries and time horizons. AYN helps connect evidence, collaboration and financing arrangements with the conditions required for long-term ecological and organisational viability.
Where strategic agency matters
Strategy and organisational transformation
When established assumptions no longer support strategic choices, or organisational arrangements constrain the ability to respond. AYN connects interpretation of the context with priorities, decision rights and the allocation of resources.
Finance and investment
When commitments depend on uncertain cash flows, performance or impact. We examine the assumptions and dependencies behind the proposition, the distribution of exposure, and the governance needed to sustain credible commitments as conditions evolve.
Nature and landscapes
When ecological processes, ownership, public interests and funding operate across different boundaries and time horizons. AYN helps connect evidence, collaboration and financing arrangements with the conditions required for long-term ecological and organisational viability.
Observe – Design – Invest guides AYN’s development of nature opportunities and financing approaches. TUNA Advisory strengthens the strategic agency needed to organise and sustain that work.
Observe – Design – Invest guides AYN’s development of nature opportunities and financing approaches. TUNA Advisory strengthens the strategic agency needed to organise and sustain that work.
Intellectual foundations
Trust enables investment. Conviction sustains it.
Trust enables investment. Conviction sustains it.
Trust enables investment. Conviction sustains it.
Commitment reaches into a future we cannot fully know. Trust grows through credible responsibilities, transparent assumptions and an understanding of how difficulties will be addressed. Conviction sustains a purpose while leaving the means open to revision.
Commitment reaches into a future we cannot fully know. Trust grows through credible responsibilities, transparent assumptions and an understanding of how difficulties will be addressed. Conviction sustains a purpose while leaving the means open to revision.
What is changing the basis on which your organisation decides—and what capacity do you need to act?
What is changing the basis on which your organisation decides—and what capacity do you need to act?
Discuss your challenge with AYN