Those of you who are familiar with us know that we take a somewhat unique approach to business management consulting.
In addition to the research, reporting and advisements of traditional consultants, we actually enjoy getting our hands dirty with execution.
That sounds a bit gruesome, doesn’t it?
What we’re trying to say is that we don’t just determine the appropriate course of action; we roll up our sleeves and help make it happen. Over the years – as we’ve helped clients of all sizes and industries – we eventually codified this process. Today, it’s known to us (and now you) as the “3P” method of business consulting: poking, prodding and producing. Again, context is everything when it comes to business lingo, isn’t it?
Anyway, if you’re unfamiliar with this approach, we wanted to briefly outline the basics in the event that you or someone you know might be looking for more value from a business consultant. So with that in mind, allow me to quickly explain the benefits of this approach by pillar. Here we go…
Poking: In the world of business management consulting, nothing is ever as it appears. The client knows there is a problem (why else would they contact a consultant?) but often times they are not entirely sure what that problem actually is. A lot of consultants simply take their word for it and immediately begin working on a solution. We take an alternate route. Instead of accepting the client’s version of the problem, we examine the business ourselves, and in doing so, we often end up drawing much different conclusions. In other words, we make sure we’re trying to solve the right problem.
Prodding: Once we’ve identified the underlying issue, we dig deep into the details. What factors are contributing to the problem and making it worse? Are the problems a result of people, processes or systems? Are they caused by a lack of planning, a lack of execution or a misinterpretation of data? Unlike the first phase, this process is highly collaborative, as we spend a great deal of time interviewing key stakeholders (as well as customers in some instances) to determine the specifics of a particular challenge.
Producing: The problem has been identified, along with the symptoms. Next comes the fun part. Now it’s time to create and implement a solution. As you might expect, this process varies greatly depending on the client and their specific challenge. They might be launching a new inbound marketing initiative and need to remodel their business plan or revise their sales process. They might be looking to increase operational efficiency and need an overhauled operating model. Or, they may need additional resources to be on-site as needed, to understand their business and address challenges in real time. Whatever the challenge, we take the lead to address it.
It’s the “producing” part of the approach that separates us from the vast majority of business management consultants out there. Today’s businesses are increasingly looking for more tactical, hands-on execution, not just suggestions on the appropriate course of action.
This isn’t a big change for us – it’s what we’ve been doing for more than a decade.
Does this sound like an approach that can move your business further? If so, drop us a note.