Turning complex strategy into shared direction — through visual thinking.
When strategy feels complex, misaligned, or hard to move forward, the problem is rarely a lack of understanding or effort. It’s that leaders are holding different pictures of what’s really going on — and where the organisation or team is heading.
Crackerjack helps leadership teams create strategic clarity by making those differences visible, discussable, and resolvable.
I’m John Ashton, founder of Crackerjack Visual Thinking and the creator of the Crackerjack Visioning Process™ — a founder-led strategic sense-making intervention designed for moments of change, growth, or uncertainty. I work directly with CEOs and senior leadership teams to achieve leadership alignment and use visual thinking to create a single, shared visual representation of strategic direction.
This isn’t about off-the-shelf images, decks, or generic frameworks. It’s about helping leaders see the system clearly, align on what matters, and move forward with confidence — faster and with less friction.
If clarity really matters, this is where the work begins.
We had conversations at board level that we would never have happened if we hadn’t been through the Crackerjack Visioning Process™
Ali Philips | Organisational Capability Leader
Who we work with
I’m lucky enough to have worked across a wide variety of sectors and industries with organisations including:
When clarity and alignment matter most
This work is most valuable when:
- Strategy exists, but leaders interpret it differently
- Senior teams are capable, but alignment feels fragile
- Decisions circle without landing
- Change, growth, or uncertainty has increased complexity
- Alignment matters more than analysis
If these feel familiar, you’re not failing — you’re dealing with complexity that needs to be made visible.
What this work does — and doesn’t do
What it does
- Creates strategic clarity
- Helps leadership teams align on direction
- Makes complex strategy visible and discussable
- Provides a shared reference point for decisions
What it doesn’t
- It’s not a substitute for leadership accountability
- It’s not a workshop for its own sake
- It’s not a slide deck or generic framework
- It’s not programme management or delivery
The value we offer is not just in the strategic rich pictures we develop, but the journey we go on together to create them.
John Ashton | Founder of Crackerjack Visual Thinking
How it works
Frame the real question
- Clarify what truly needs aligning — often beneath the surface issue.
Design the right conversation
- A founder-led strategic alignment intervention, not a template.
Create shared understanding
- Through facilitated sense-making and live visual synthesis.
Leave with clarity
- A single, shared visual representation of direction leaders can use again and again.
Founder-led, by design
Crackerjack is deliberately founder-led. I personally design and deliver every engagement. There are no hand-offs to junior consultants and no scaled delivery teams.
This ensures senior-level judgement, focus, and accountability — especially when leadership alignment really matters.ning people, or delivering change — we can help you make it visible.
How pricing works
Crackerjack engagements are priced based on the complexity of the challenge, the level of senior alignment required, and the risk associated with getting it wrong.
I don’t price by day rates, headcount, or volume delivery. Each engagement is scoped and priced individually to ensure senior-level focus, clarity, and accountability.
If the work feels significant, the investment usually is too — and this is discussed openly and early once the context is understood.
This keeps the focus on outcomes, not activity to support your message for months — even years — to come.
Let’s start a conversation!
If you’re facing a moment where strategic clarity and leadership alignment really matter, this form is simply a way to start a conversation. There’s no obligation and no pitch — just a chance to explore whether this work is a good fit for the challenge you’re facing, and whether it’s the right time to talk.
Call me on +44 (0)115 6483381 or use the form below to get in touch. I look forward to exploring your ideas…
