Mandy Kennett launched TMRW, a people and culture consultancy, earlier this year after 25 years in talent development for Mindshare, GroupM and WPP.
The consultancy was born from her passion for helping talent grow and develop within a company.
Kennett spoke to Mediaweek about the challenges of starting TMRW on her own, the consultancy’s offering and clientele, and what the industry can expect in the year ahead.
How TMRW fits into the industry
Kennett has spent most of her career working in large organisations, taking on global roles and operating within parent companies. While she has enjoyed working in such positions, Kennett shared that she began to feel “disconnected” from her true passion.
“It was after attending a brilliant session by the team at Shine4Women that I was inspired to delve deeper into my aspirations and the ‘bigger game’ I envisioned for myself.
“So, when the chance emerged to pursue this dream, I seized it, and TMRW was born,” she recalled.
Kennett explained that the consultancy’s mission is to help companies grow by putting their people at the heart of growth and getting talent ready to take on the complexities of the future.
“We work with companies to build future-fit assessments and design people processes and systems to help propel companies forward,” she said.
“We also create, facilitate, and deliver bespoke evidence-based learning, influencing culture and shifting behaviours they need to sustain and scale impact,” she added.
Kennett’s background in leadership roles in the communication industry has helped her understand consumer behaviour to sell brands. She said the science of learning is the same: “We are all information consumers and need the right experiences to shift our behaviour. “
“With so many conflicting options and media noise around training, I am in a unique position to create solutions, using my experience to engage teams in meaningful ways. Knowing how our industry works is a huge benefit, too, to ensure content is applicable and relevant,” she added.
Kennett on the challenges and highlights of launching the consultancy on her own
Kennett took a chance on herself to launch TMRW on her own. While it has been a successful journey, it has also come with challenges – one of which is needing to be a jack of all trades and lean into the areas that aren’t her natural strength or passion.
“For example, working out a company structure, BAS statements, invoicing, and solving IT problems bores me to tears – I can’t wait to hire someone to do that!” she shared.
On the flip, Kennett noted that an unexpected highlight had been the depth of support I have received from her mentors, coaches and ex-colleagues.
“We work in an industry of great humans, and I don’t think I realised how big my own ‘cheer squad’ was. People want to help. They want you to succeed,” she said.
“When a business founder reaches out and asks for help because ‘I made such an impact on them ten years ago,’ that gives you a shot of dopamine and removes any feelings of imposter syndrome. It’s powerful, rewarding, and insanely motivating,” she added.
What makes TMRW’s offering unique to the market and its clientele
Kennett noted that what sets TMRW’s approach apart from others is based on the neuroscience of learning.
“The leadership workshops we offer are for all levels, from new managers right up to CEOs and their executive teams.”
Kennett explained:” We apply the brain-science principles of how we learn best to all our programs and use a 3-step habit-forming framework that is based on shorter, bite-sized experiences with a commitment to hands-on practice and on-the-job spaced repetition.”
TMRW already has six clients, ranging from small independent agencies to large global companies.
For businesses looking to work with TMRW, Kennett shared that they use three principles for every project they create.
The first is a relentless focus on future growth. She said: “We will always build programmes that meet your goals of today so that your people are future-fit and ready to grow your company for tomorrow.”
The second is to think like a scientist. She noted: “Every problem has a solution. Every solution needs to be supported by data and science. Expect a lot of questions and interesting data!”
Rounding out the principles is to nourish their clients and make them sparkle. “We want our clients to feel heard, energised and nourished when they meet TMRW,” Kennett concluded.
Kennett on TMRW’s whirlwind start and the exciting year ahead
Looking ahead at what the industry can expect from TMRW, Kennett shared that their clients look forward to supporting their long-term plans and strategies.
“It’s been a whirlwind start with six clients already onboard, all of which are looking for innovative and effective solutions to support their long-term learning and people development strategies.”
Kennett noted that the consultancy is excited to bring a program to market that elevates CEO and EXCO teams to deliver high performance.
“The Leader Catalyst, created in partnership with my colleague (Jackie Waite, Ignitability), has already launched with strong client results and positive feedback. Hogan Assessments power the program and deliver a detailed, science-based view of an individual and a team’s collective leadership skills.”
Kennett explained that by digging into individual motivations and exploring the intricacies of team dynamics, the program will deliver unparalleled insights for the company that can unlock future success.
She also revealed that TMRW will launch an exciting new product for smaller (but growing) independent agencies looking to develop their people. They don’t have the scale to fill a training room but need an engaging learning experience.
“I look forward to bringing these ideas to life and working with clients who understand the value of growing their people for team and business success. It’s what I love doing, and I can’t wait to see what’s ahead for TMRW,” Kennett added.
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Top image: Mandy Kennett