How we’re different for our people
How we’re different for our clients
WHO WE ARE
How we behave
what we value
How we see
WE ARE THE LEADING CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION CONSULTANCY.
WE MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN, HELPING BUSINESSES TRANSFORM, WITH PEOPLE AT THE HEART OF EVERY DECISION.
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How we’re different for our PEOPLE
How We See
What We Value
How We Behave
How We Sound
How We LOOK
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OUR STORY
It’s incredible to think about how far North Highland has come. What started out as a kitchen table and three computers is now a world-leading consultancy firm… After years of consulting experience, in 1992, our founders decided it was time for a change. Consultancy needed to be less about long hours and spiraling quotes. Instead, it needed more compassion. More collaboration with clients. So North Highland was born. From the get-go, we’ve put people at the heart of everything. And today, that’s still intact. We make change happen together. No one could’ve predicted how large our impact would become. With offices spanning North America, South Africa and the UK—we’ve transformed countless organizations from the inside out. As a member of Cordence Worldwide, we’re diverse thinking in action. This book explains our vision, motivation, voice, and desired behaviors, so that you have confidence representing North Highland, and adding to our growth story
IF NORTH HIGHLAND WAS A PERSON
OUR VISION & PURPOSE
OUR VISION
Our VISION keeps US FOCUSED AND UNIFIED.
We are change makers... and so are our clients
OUR PURPOSE IS UNIQUE. THIS IS HOW WE DRIVE SUCCESS FOR OUR CLIENTS.
OUR PURPOSE
How we make change happen, helping businesses transform with people at the heart of every decision
if north highland was a person
Brands tend to fit archetypes. North Highland hits two main archetypes—the Explorer and Philosopher. These combine into a hybrid persona: The Adventurer. It embodies our daring, practical nature while understanding that many causes can shape one, ongoing result. The Adventurer is naturally curious. They like to step into uncharted waters, but take care not to go out of their depth. Initially, they ask a lot of questions, then get more comfortable as small actions validate their thinking. Social dynamics fascinate them. So does teamwork—they like to see how environments build leaders, and vice versa. When they’re not deep in conversation, they like to wind down with films, books and TV that give them thrilling new ideas and perspectives.
How would we behave, sound, look—what would we value? What would our personality be?
ACTION NOW
ONE TEAM
HOW WE’RE DIFFERENT FOR OUR CLIENTS
Sounds good, but what does it actually look like?
We provide a People-First experience. That's our approach. The powerful experience we create is unique, trusted, and collaborative. It is more than an approach or a methodology, it is a way of working that translates into real value, now and in the future.
We mix into clients’ teams seamlessly, blending the right skills from across our business and theirs to get the job done.
We make sure clients take away improvements from the moment they connect with us.
Meanwhile, we know that small changes today leave a huge mark on the future—which strengthens the knowledge we share.
LASTING CAPABILITY
Our clients tell us it ‘feels different to work with us’and it’s all in the ‘how’. From day one, we bring the right mix of people, create relationships, and become a part of their team.
• 81% of C-Suite Leaders see North Highland as a trusted advisor • 2 out of 3 people surveyed believe North Highland feel like part of their team • Silos have no place here. Instead, everyone flows where they need to be—we only have one P&L across our entire firm.
“Clients cite North Highland’s sensitivity and respect for their corporate culture as a differentiator that enables the firm to consult effectively at all levels of an organization.” —ALM Intelligence
”North Highland always wanted to understand us and get to know our people on a personal level. It just feels that they’re part of our team. [We understand] they’re consultants—but it doesn’t feel that way.”
PROVE IT!
What do the analysts say?
What do our clients say?
Those who partner with us like that we listen and move quickly to create value. We roll up our sleeves, act with intent, and deliver real results.
• 91% of clients say that North Highland's recommendations are very or extremely actionable. • 2 out of 3 people surveyed believe North Highland successfully implements recommendations • Compared to our competitors, we are very strongly identified as 'delivering results quickly'
“With its people-centric, experience design driven approach, North Highland stands out for its ability to operationalize, change strategies, and mobilize client resources to achieve tangible results.” —ALM Intelligence
“One of the attributes that truly differentiates North Highland is their willingness to get involved operationally, truly roll up their sleeves and really deliver the goods.”
The people we work with know and love that ‘we build their capability, not consulting dependency’. It’s important that we share knowledge and embed skills, making sure clients can continue their success long after we’ve gone.
• 2 out of 3 people surveyed believe North Highland efficiently and effectively transfer knowledge to their team • A huge 3 out of 4 people surveyed feel that North Highland brings proprietary insights, data or benchmarks to their projects • The numbers speak for themselves—over 90% of people we work with are repeat buyers.
“North Highland’s Human–Centered Organization Design Methodology is tailor-made for building client capability with its collaborative approach that incorporates drivers of employee engagement from strategy through execution.” —ALM Intelligence
”[North Highland] makes sure that the existing people know exactly what they’ve done so they can carry it forward in the future. That makes a real difference. The business can continue to grow and develop and we’ve learned something along the way.”
FLEXIBLE GROWTH
PEOPLE AT THE HEART
HOW WE’RE DIFFERENT FOR OUR PEOPLE
At North Highland, we pride ourselves on having great people who work hard and have fun at the same time. As the leading change and transformation consultancy, our people are constantly transforming themselves, leading to career and skill growth that’s driven by the work we do for our clients. With this growth mindset, we are always learning how to be the best at getting better. ‘To be the most enviable culture on the planet’ is our mission. It’s people like you - smart people from diverse backgrounds - who bring this to life every day. Never settling, we continuously transform forward…and we have fun doing it.
CHANGE CHAMPIONS
We’re building the most enviable culture in the world of consulting – one where people love being part of our team and achieve their highest potential while creating long-lasting impact for our clients and communities. As part of that, we believe the wellbeing and success of our people is paramount. But it’s not just a case of putting people first – every business should do that. It’s about understanding that every one of us can be a coach, a friend and a fantastic listener. People bring out the best in one another when they celebrate differences and diversity.
At North Highland, we want you to break glass, lead growth, and drive excellence for ourselves and our clients. So, everyone here is inspired to learn, empowered to teach and nurtured to carve their own path. Ultimately, we’re intentionally growing together.
With us, you have the power to be a changemaker. To indulge your appetite for curiosity. To ask questions, show creativity and explore. All we ask is for courage and conviction—for the urge to transform for the better and make change happen. We’ll sort the rest.
The three promises of our North Highland Value Proposition (NHVP) are putting people at the heart of all we do, being champions for change, and offering flexible career growth. Click here to visit our Enviable Culture page.
HOW WE SEE
CUSTOMER
Striking the ideal balance between customer needs and business imperatives.
WORKFORCE
Reimagining talent and capabilities to enable organizations and employees to achieve their full potential.
OPERATIONAL
Driving improvements and efficiency in day-to-day operations.
WHAT WE VALUE
CLIENT-CENTRICITY
Our priority is client service and meaningful impact
CARE
We respect and value the individual contributions and quality of life for everyone
INTEGRITY
We act with the highest degree of honesty, integrity, professionalism and inclusiveness
EMPOWERMENT
We’re empowered to make choices in our careers and assignments
ACCOUNTABILITY
We are responsible and accountable for the success of our clients, teams and firm
HOW WE BEHAVE
how we behave
AUTHENTIC
Different perspectives are valued and encouraged. We bring our whole selves to work and want our clients to do the same.
BOLD
We are confident in who we are and the difference we make—we aren’t afraid to hit the ground running. Our experience allows us to do so and our results speak for themselves. Further, we’re not ‘yes’ people and will challenge our clients and one another to make sure we’re headed in the right direction and getting things done.
ORATIVE
COLLAB
There are no egos here, but this doesn’t mean we aren’t confident. We bring in the right people and listen to ensure our clients’ success. Where appropriate, we integrate seamlessly with our client teams to build their capability.
OUR TONE
STRUCTURE & PACING
GENERAL GUIDELINES
VISION FOR OUR VOICE
HOW WE SOUND
WORD CHOICE
MESSAGING MENU
TALK ABOUT NORTH HIGHLAND LIKE (CONT.): DON'T TALK ABOUT NORTH HIGHLAND LIKE (CONT.):
6. We help clients by creating a tailored strategy and implementing it, while building lasting capability and collaborating within your team to carry it forward. 7. Small steps add up to giant leaps forward. We help you make long term plans, while taking action now—from day one. 8. We bring the eureka moments. We are unique in our space—you won’t find others rated as highly that bring nimble and adaptive ways of working that we offer. 9. We’re part of Cordence Worldwide. Along with 3,500 other global change consultants. They learn from us. We learn from them. It’s diverse thinking in action. 10. Customers? Operations? The high pressures on your workforce? We weave them together and transform what you’re capable of.
TALK ABOUT NORTH HIGHLAND LIKE: DON'T TALK ABOUT NORTH HIGHLAND LIKE:
1. We are the leading change and transformation consultancy, helping clients succeed when facing customer, workforce, and operational challenges. 2. We serve around a third of Fortune 500 / FTSE 100 companies and the public sector. They know us—and we know them—inside out. 3. Every decision should have people at it’s core. We’ll keep your strategy laser focused on those who matter—customers and employees. 4. We take a one team approach—bringing the right mix of expertise and skills at once. It’s like a Lego set—from the same box but built differently. 5. Gartner, Forrester and other industry analysts highly recommend us. They're tough to impress.
Our suggested words aren’t a hard, fast rule for what you should say in every situation. But they are a comprehensive list to stay on-brand and on-message. These words really express your core values, as well as their antithesis—things you should avoid writing or saying. Often, it’s a matter of the right expression. Of saying something in a friendlier, more personable tone (hover over the icons below for more):
Actionable Engage Adapt Imagine Feel Think Futureproof Reflect Landmark Experience Moment Discover Deeply Carefully Truthfully Collaborate Community People Meaning
WORDS TO USE
Realign Mobilize Enact Determine Advance Human Pleased Thrilled Facilitate Theoretically Operational Functional
WORDS TO AVOID
Transformation Change Horizon
USE WITH CARE
The trick is to modulate language, like music. To slow down or speed up. To be blunt. Like this. Or pick up the pace and create a breathless stream of ideas, evidencing how your mind is racing with new possibilities.
It’s all about balance and variation. Similarly, pay attention to structure—how ideas are introduced, developed and concluded. This will become second nature as you figure out what’s best for each type of content.
Saying too much will exhaust your audience. But saying too little calls your skills into question.
OUR GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO:
Start with the why instead of the what. Or get to the why as quickly as you can. Set the scene, the problem, the frustration or surprising turn of recent events. If you’re opening with quotes and analogies, make sure they tie into a specific concern your audience will share. Break up your sentences more often. This goes for paragraphs too. You can even leave a single sentence paragraph on its own, to drive home a point or lead into a new section of your argument.
THESE GUIDELINES WILL KEEP YOU ON TRACK:
Use the second-person pronoun (“you”) and first–person collective (“we”) to become more relatable. Link data to what the client gets out of it. Why should they care? It’s a useful way to introduce your survey findings e.g. “To spot and overcome the biggest barriers to pharma R&D, we surveyed XXX…” Align your awareness with theirs e.g. “We know that XXX is making waves right now in the retail sector, and has probably hit your bottom line already.” Ask questions—they inspire people to think and delve into their own experiences. Imagine what they’ll be wondering as they read, watch or listen. Questions are also a great route to engagement if you have a comments thread.
INTRODUCTION
We have a huge opportunity to be bolder, more creative and entertaining with your language. Very few consultancies speak like people. Even fewer are able to present their ideas like a good piece of journalism, threading their message into a story. We are smaller and have less to lose. These guidelines explain how we can develop a unique much more personal voice in the consulting space, uniting everyone in the best ways to drive engagement and explain our value to the world. This guide is designed to bring us all onto the same page on how we think, sound and share our ideas.
Resources Agile
NEXT
1. We offer [insert industry] consulting. 2. Our work has encompassed many Fortune 500 / FTSE 100 companies as well as groups in the public sector. 3. People-activities are key to your change horizon. 4. Our one-team, multi-dimensional approach is guaranteed to bring the right skills for your requirements. 5. North Highland comes highly recommended by Gartner, Forrester and other industry analysts for our cross disciplinary approach and effective change strategies.
6. We are an implementation/execution firm and come in after the strategy is defined. 7. Continuous change is bred from taking action today. Contact us about our ability to power your own, long-term strategies forward. 8. North Highland aim to sow the seeds of independent transformation so you’re able to develop and adapt out lessons in the future. 9. We are part of Cordence Worldwide along with 3,500 other change consultants who have been recognized in their own fields. 10. With our assistance, you will discover critical patterns for both front-facing and internal structural leadership.
Experiment with anecdotes and story intros. They narrow the focus right away and make it relatable. Then you can go bigger, placing this one example in the wider view of your trend, opinion or discovery. Try to save stats for the middle, meatiest section of your content. If you choose to open with a statistic, however, keep it short and add a hook. Explain why it’s so earth-shattering. Use comparisons from previous years or surveys for emphasis. End with a clear call-to-action (CTA): a definable push to get in touch, learn more, contribute or engage with further research. And limit it to one CTA. Several prompts will confuse people.
CREDIBLE We’re an authoritative voice that people respect. World-class research and insights back our identity at every turn. CONSISTENT Everyone broadly speaks and acts the same across our channels. There will be flashes of individual personality for thought leadership, but they fit the North Highland mold. WELL-PACED We never say too much or too little. We can set a scene, paint a picture, and wrap up without overstaying our welcome.
DIFFERENT North Highland’s voice rises above the noise. We are bolder, more creative and entertaining than any other consultancy. ACCESSIBLE Our content is easy to scan, understand and digest. We never talk down to our audience. But we're able to cut through complex ideas, so they make sense without buzzwords. ACTIONABLE Even with big ideas on the table, there’s always something to do now after reading or listening to us. Content inspires action— not just reflection.
How do we want to sound? It’s simple – we want to sound unlike any other consultancy. Here’s the vision for our voice, distilled.
OUR COLORS
THE COMPASS
OUR LOGOS
Change and transformation at a glance— that was our key challenge when dreaming up North Highland’s logo. First up, the text had to be capitalized. It’s bold. It stands out. And every letter has equal importance. Next, we went for navy as the main color. Blue has a calming quality. But the darker hue shows the deeper mark we want to leave on our clients and communities. It’s about care, impact and peace of mind. Finally, how could we mirror our desire for change? By turning our N into a compass needle. The shades of blue switch too. The arrow faces up - representing the word itself—and stands for moving forward, as well as the sense this is just the tip of something greater. Click here to access the NH Logo Library.
IMAGERY GUIDELINES
It’s a simple expression of transformation, but an important one. It shows we’re always looking forward. Plus, you can read our compass graphics as a ‘play’ button. Change therefore becomes more participatory. Clients have to engage and bring themselves to our work.
our colors
Our colors are as important to us as the logo itself. They’re part of our personality. We have established three primary colors: North Highland Dark Blue, North Highland Light Blue, and white. The secondary color palette is used primarily for the website to identify different roles. Secondary colors are as accent colors. The gray we have chosen will primary be used for body copy.
PHOTOGRAPHY TREATMENT
• All hero images should have our signature black and white filter, signaling change. • Our images will be brightly colored, bold, and make you think. • Avoid busy backgrounds and noise—’white space’ is the goal.
how we look
HORIZONTAL LOGO
VERTICAL LOGO
HORIZONTAL LOGO WITH TAGLINE
VERTICAL LOGO WITH TAGLINE
LOGO MARK WITH TAGLINE
Light blue
dark blue
YELLOW
CONSISTENT
• Our images should tell a story. Nobody has the time to stand around scratching their heads trying to work out the relevance. • What’s more—North Highland is proud to be an inclusive organization—let’s show that in our pictures.
ACCESSIBLE
We are bolder and more creative than other consultancies. Let’s show it in our images!
DIFFERENT
Make sure the subject matter doesn’t detract from our expertise and content.
CREDIBLE
We have two image treatments. For key or hero images, we use a transition from black and white to color, using a desaturated image with a grainy texture applied to add warmth and depth alongside a full color shot. This shows transformation and that both we and our clients are unique.
We want to acknowledge our bold brand and see bright colors in our images. These also work well with our signature black and white filter – win win!
THINK BOLD
IMAGE GUIDELINES
Think of how you might explain a concept in a picture. Then try and take a step further. We want people to think—I didn’t see that coming! E.G: Data & Analytics doesn’t always have to be shown via graphs and computer screens…
be unexpected
We are a people first consultancy and we want to show that in our pictures. If you can show it with people, please do! We want to show all kinds of people— different ages, genders, backgrounds, race…
PEOPLE FIRST
LOGO MARK
Click here to access the North Highland image library.
Click here to access the North Highland icon library.
Copy will be placed here regarding primary logo.
Copy will be placed here regarding primary logo. Please note - Yellow should never be used for type on white background. Use very sparingly as accent color.
PRIMARY
Please note
SECONDARY COLORS
C100 M85 Y39 K35 R19 G46 B83 #132e53
C78 M18 Y23 K0 R3 G159 B184 #039fb8
C64.43 M56.51 Y56.1 K33.06 R82 G83 B82 #525252
C16 M0 Y96 K0 R223 G227 B42 #dee22a
C0 M0 Y0 K0 R255 G255 B255 #ffffff
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