A Thack program · Collingwood, Ontario
Step out far enough to see the terrain.
A two-day intensive in Collingwood for leaders running a program that's going sideways. Eight seats. You bring the program. We work it.
Dates to be confirmed · Collingwood, Ontario · Lodging and meals included
The problem
Plans aren't what fail.
Most programs don't fail for lack of a plan. They fail because the people running them start pushing before they've read the board. They escalate instead of building trust, measure velocity instead of outcomes, and drift back into firefighting a month after the reset.
The standard techniques are well known: critical path, dependency mapping and forecasting. What's rare is the judgment about when and how to use them.
What this is
Execution, not a course.
This is not a planning course. It's execution: connecting the dots, noticing when things go sideways, reading the people involved, and tracking to outcomes that actually prove the program is working.
It only works against a live situation, so every participant brings a program that is in trouble right now. Over two days, away from the laptop and the standups, we work those programs in the room.
You'll learn the techniques. The point is the judgment that comes with them.
The route
Four stages, in order.
- 1
Read the terrain.
Situational awareness before action: who owns what, who helps and who hinders, and the real status of the work rather than the reported one.
- 2
Find the line.
The critical path, the gaps, the immediate moves, and the longer arc they sit inside.
- 3
Move.
Prioritize and mobilize. Handle the politics honestly and build trust deliberately. Measure legitimate outcomes, not proxy metrics.
- 4
Keep it running.
Do what you said you'd do; that is the mechanism of trust recovery. Lift the team, coach up and down, and build feedback loops. Then repeat.
The two days
Read, route, move, hold.
Day one — Read and route
Morning
Arrive and settle in. Each participant briefs their program in ten minutes, cold.
Late morning
Reading the board. We run a structured diagnostic on each program and look for owners, detractors, and the gap between real status and reported status.
Afternoon
A walk on the escarpment. We talk through one program on the trail, in pairs.
Late afternoon
Finding the line. We map critical path and dependencies on your actual work.
Evening
Dinner, then an unstructured conversation by the fire.
Day two — Move and hold
Morning
Politics and trust, the part almost nobody teaches honestly.
Late morning
Legitimate outcomes versus proxy metrics. We derive what would actually prove your program is working.
Afternoon
Keeping it running. Each participant commits to what they will do in the next 30 days, in front of the room.
Departure
Mid-afternoon, in time to be back in Toronto for dinner.
In the 30 days after
A one-on-one coaching session with Thack on your commitment, then a group call where each participant reports on what happened and what they're correcting.
Who it's for
Senior enough that nobody hands you a playbook.
This is for you if:
- You lead a program, product or delivery organization in a regulated, high-stakes environment.
- You have a program in trouble right now and can talk about it candidly.
- You're senior enough that nobody is going to hand you a playbook.
This is not for you if:
- You want a certification or a framework to bring back.
- You don't have a live program to work on.
- You're looking for a break. This is two days of hard thinking in a quiet place.
What's included
Everything but the laptop.
- Two days of facilitated working sessions, with 8 participants maximum
- One night of lodging at the venue (confirmed on acceptance)
- All meals from lunch on day one through lunch on day two
- A guided escarpment walk, with no fitness requirement beyond an easy trail
- A written diagnostic of your program to take back
- A 30-minute one-on-one coaching session with Thack in the weeks after, focused on your 30-day commitment
- A 30-day follow-up group call
Investment
$4,500 CAD
Per participant, plus HST. Designed to be employer-expensed; an invoice and program outline are provided for approval.
ApplyIndividual — open cohort
Join seven leaders from other organizations, each bringing their own program. Scheduled dates, 8 seats, up to two people per organization. $4,500 per participant.
Team — private intensive
Bring the leadership group behind one program. Same two days and method, worked against your organization's program, so everyone leaves reading the same board. Dates by arrangement, 4 to 8 people from one organization. $4,500 per participant.
About
Run by someone who does the work.
Adam Thackeray (Thack) has spent more than 25 years delivering fraud, payments and financial platform programs, and 15 of those years walking into programs that were going sideways and getting them moving. He's an engineering leader and an operator, not an advisor.
This program is how he actually does that work, written down. It runs only in Collingwood, where he lives, and the setting is part of it: the distance is how you see the terrain.
Apply
Eight seats.
Applications are reviewed personally and every applicant gets a reply within five business days.
FAQ
The practical questions.
How do I get this approved by my employer?
Once you're accepted, you'll receive an invoice and a one-page program outline written for your approver.
What about confidentiality?
Everything discussed in the room stays in the room. Participants agree to this on arrival. You can anonymize your program as much as you need to.
What's the terrain actually like?
The walk is on easy, well-marked trail. No outdoor experience or gear is needed beyond sensible shoes and a warm layer; a packing list is sent on acceptance.
Why Collingwood?
Because distance is part of the method. It's two hours from Toronto, which is close enough to get to and far enough that you stop checking Slack.
Can my company send a team?
Yes, as a private intensive for 4 to 8 people from one organization, on dates set together. In the open cohort, it's up to two people per organization so the room stays candid.
What if I have to cancel?
The cancellation policy is shared with your acceptance letter, before you commit to anything.