WHAT IS COMPANY DNA?

We define Company DNA as the unique qualities and characteristics that define an organization.

Each component of Company DNA framework plays a role in the system that both defines and differentiates an organization—outlining what is important to preserve and guiding future growth

  • Origin Story
  • Market Catgory
  • Stakeholders
  • Purpose
  • Vision
  • Mission
  • Promise
  • Pillars
  • Values
  • DNA Metrics
WHAT IS OUR COMPANY DNA?

We took our own medicine and codified our Company DNA to guide decision making across our organization.

ORIGIN STORY
How did our organization come to be?

Following founder Howard Schultz’s exit from Starbucks in 2017,  Annie Richmond and Danny Brooks were tasked with helping new leaders define what to preserve about the brand and what to reimagine. Annie and Danny wondered how they might codify a company's DNA so all leaders had a shared tool to make consistent, strategic decisions that equitably serve employees, customers, and the business.

MARKET CATEGORY
What industry are we in?

Our work focuses on:Strategy Systems Consulting

Stakeholders
Who does our organization serve?

Primary
Purpose-Led Leaders
Decision makers at our client’s organizations

SecondaryClient Teams
Employees/Teams at the client’s organizations

TertiaryOrganizations
All for-profit companies and their stakeholders

Purpose
What is our organization’s primary reason for being?

We exist to:

Enable organizations to follow through on their best intentions

Vision
What is the future our organization aspires to create?

We envision a future where we helped:

For-profit companies do more good for more people

Mission
What’s our goal and how will you accomplish it?

We aim to:

Put Company DNA at the heart of decision making

PROMISE
What do we deliver to our stakeholders every single time?

We promise to: Decode complexity.

PILLARS
How do we uniquely deliver on our Promise to stakeholders?
What we sell:
Company DNA
Codified decision-making frameworks—leveraging a company’s unique qualities to guide consistent choices and differentiate from competition

When we get it right:
More organizations use Company DNA as a decision-making framework


Strategy
Actionable plans—organizing and interconnecting teams around systematic problem definition, near- and long-term tactics, and shared success metrics

When we get it right:
The organization evolves and improves its strategic planning systems
How we deliver:
Archaeology
People-centered exploration and insights—digging deep to understand an organization's aspirations, stakeholder perceptions, root problems, and key opportunities

When we get it right:
Leaders believe Penrose’s work feels native


Activation
Thoughtful integration—sustaining tangible change by engaging teams to broadly adopt and use new tools and systems rooted in DNA

When we get it right:
Teams adopt and use the systems Penrose creates in their day-to-day work
How we’re different:

Storytelling
Engaging communications—making sense of complex information through memorable narratives that stick within an organization


When we get it right:
Leaders feel inspired to share and leverage Penrose’s work


Thought-Partnership
Active listening and sense making—providing honest perspectives and expertise to support leaders through their toughest challenges

When we get it right:
Leaders feel Penrose is a trusted thought partner
Desired outcomes:
Progress
Measurable transformation—supporting meaningful transitions by creating alignment and momentum towards audacious goals


When we get it right:
The organization shifts investment in alignment with codified Company DNA/strategy


Relationships
Meaningful connections—prioritizing trust, shared ideas, and personal connections as ends unto themselves


When we get it right:
Client leaders recommend Penrose to their peers
VALUES
What are the shared beliefs that guide our actions? 
In our behaviors, we prioritize:
Kindness

Positive Impact
Generosity

Rigor
Continuous Learning

Accountability

Let’s talk.

What challenges are you navigating right now? Tell us about the biggest questions on your mind, and let’s see how we might tackle them together.

reach out

Get the Penrose Quarterly.

Sign up to receive our quarterly newsletters to get an exclusive look at the tools we’re making available to clients, and unpack some of the biggest questions C-suite leaders come to us with.