In turbulent times in which not just the business and economic world is shaken up by challenges in new and threatening ways, companies and businesses need one thing more than ever before: expertise. With technology, information availability and a global community of experts, that isn't a problem, or is it?
One skill grows more and more important, yet, it remains under the radar of most business leaders and managers: to sift through information. In order to access knowledge and expertise, companies don't face the problem of finding information, but rather the dilemma of dealing with it.
The great need businesses have is not for knowledge or information, but rather for the exact expertise that supports the immediate intentions and the course of action.
One way in which companies solve that problem is by hiring consultants and creating projects with which they intend to overcome problems and challenges. However, there are three basic flaws in this approach:
I. Conventional consulting exceeds the budgets of most businesses for it to be a viable solution.
For most companies, conventional consulting isn't affordable. The price tags on consulting projects and fees for the services are too high for most to be an actual option to solve problems or to achieve goals. Therefore, they rely heavily on internal resources. This however prolongs challenges and takes away resources that could be utilized in a better way. Therefore, what conventional consulting has to offer totally contradicts the actual need of businesses.
II. Conventional consulting gives short-term impulses with little sustainability and leaves companies without measured effects.
In connection with the first point, businesses tend to buy only the consulting services that are connected with an immediate problem that only takes little time to solve. (Please check out Alan Weiss' Value-Based Fees to learn more about this atrocity and how conventional consulting functions). Then, what either doesn't get implemented or what isn't taken care of is the measuring and evaluation system that tracks progress in the long run. Instead, managers order short-term action because of conventional consulting, but what effects still remain after a couple of weeks or months remains unknown.
III. Conventional consulting doesn't focus on the hidden sources and causes of problems but rather on easy gains and wins.
Again, as a result from the two aspects above, client and conventional consultant agree to only fix the most important and immediate issue. This, however, is not the most strategic and helpful fix, but short-term, it eases the client's pain. The true value would lie in the continued support with expertise and assistance in the operative implementation. In the current market situation, few are ready to pay the price.
Let me be clear, I'm not saying that conventional consulting is evil or tries to actively undermine the success of entrepreneurs, business owners, or executives. But what I want to emphasize is that in my opinion the system is flawed. There should be better ways to actively support businesses and organizations that eradicate these nuisances.
Therefore, we have designed a new model of consulting. With a membership at our Consulting Academy, you gain easy, affordable, and flexible access to expertise, competence, support and consulting services in a new way. If you want to learn more and pioneer in a new way of growing and transforming your business, please contact us via service@mbinspirations.com or through www.mbinspirations.com
About the author:
Marc Breetzke, M.A., M.A. is the founder of MB Inspirations and Europe's leading strategy expert. He works as a consultant, trainer, coach, speaker, and lecturer all over the world for large, international businesses (e.g. Fortune 500) and leaders. He studied Strategic Communications in Germany and in the United States. Today, he operates
from his head-office in Stuttgart, Germany.