Become a well paid Consultant: Volume 2: 7 Strategies

This video focuses on two strategic models – the Vision to KPI model, and the Strategy Matrix.  These two models provide a great deal of insight into the current operation and performance of the business.  The Vision - KPI Model highlights the degree of maturity of the organization in terms of articulating its way forward – hence the multi layered model, with Vision cascading down through various layers in the hierarchy until you arrive at KPI’s.

This is a very powerful model which highlights how well the organization has thought through the process of setting big goals and translating them down through Leadership style, culture behaviours etc.

The Strategy Matrix model is based on the BCG or Boston Consulting Grid.  It focuses on the organization’s product portfolio, assessing current services and products offered together with potential services and products being considered or developed for the future.

You can use this model to assess how well the organization is performing in making the most of the products or services they offer clients or customers.

There we have it, two models that you can use to get you started on the road to becoming a credible and high earning consultant or business adviser.

Organizational Culture - Here we focus on a subject which is much debated, but little understood.  This follows on from strategic analysis and is a critical element of managing organizational change.  Many people do not know where to start when examining the current health of their culture.  The ‘Iceberg Model’ is a model I developed in one of my books (the Iceberg Agenda) and is a useful way of looking at culture.

The analogy with the Iceberg is simple.  Very little mass of the Iceberg is visible above the water line.  Most of the mass lurks below.  The same is true for organizational culture.  Much of the mass of the culture is not visible to the naked eye, yet it has a major impact on the performance of the business.  We tend to focus on the bits of the culture or Iceberg we can see – the tip of the Iceberg reflects logos, branding, strap lines, physical layout etc.  The real driving force is lower down and includes how corporate values are translated via leadership behaviour into formal and informal working practises and acceptable behaviours.  This video is a useful way to look at culture and should support you in diagnosing key problems.

This video is a natural follow on from Culture.  The 10 S’s is a useful framework for diagnosing problems in the business.  It breaks the organization down into hard S’s, (Strategy, Structure and Systems), and the soft S’s, (Staff, Skills, Style, Shared Values, Sharing Information, Symbols and Synergy).  The key is collecting data that will give some indication of the relative health of the organisation along each of the S’s.  The task is then to define, debate and discuss how the organization wants to operate in the future, using the 10 S’s framework.  The real consultancy skill is using ‘Gap Analysis’ to support the client organization move from where it currently stands to a more desired future state.

Here we focus on a vital component of organizational functioning – relationships with your clients, customers or end users.  Still, in too many organizations, sufficient focus is not paid to developing positive customer relations to promote greater customer satisfaction, acquisition and retention.  We outline the key issues impacting the typical organisation and ask 15 questions that should support you in building a consultancy proposal for your client.  We also refer to the process of Customer Journey Mapping and give the learner a lot to think about in terms of meeting with the client.

Video 5 concentrates upon personal relationships.  To understand the dynamics that exist between people we make use of Jung’s ideas on Personality Types.  We explain the 4 themes that comprise the model and hint or indicate where there may be potential conflicts in thinking and working.

We make the point that ‘people like people like themselves’ – and often this is reflected in how people tend to work with likeminded people.  However, there can be real benefit to understanding perspectives from another point of view.  This video breaks down the four themes and lets the learner decide for themselves where they fit in the 16 types presented.  This is only an introduction to Type Theory – but is very useful to start out looking at how we work with others who may have a different perspective and work differently to ourselves.

Following on from managing relationships, we now focus on Team development.  We explore two models which should go some way to supporting you examining and analysing how teams work together internally, and how they operate with other teams.  We use the Tuckman model to work through the maturity of group development and illustrate that few groups or teams actually reach the high performing state expected. 

Further to group development we explore Belbin’s Team Types and the composition of the group and how people work together.  This is a useful starter for further research using Belbin’s approach.

The really big issue impacting many organizations is Business Transformation and how they can build a climate of continuous improvement.  Here, we focus on a reshaped and vibrant form of Lean Thinking.  We take the traditional lean approach and its methodology and integrate it with the behavioural approach to managing change.  We discuss the method of GE (General Electrics) Work-Out and how it can support Business Transformation through installing a culture of Speed, Simplicity and self Confidence.