Can consultancies collaborate?

The consulting landscape is evolving rapidly. No longer is it enough to simply provide expert advice; clients demand tangible results, innovative solutions, and a collaborative approach. The traditional model of consultants as the detached expert that comes in to offer an outsider’s perspective is giving way to a new era where collaboration is integral for success.

For many companies this may feel intuitive, however, many consultancies are struggling with this shift. The question is why? 


The role of consultation
While consultation, in the sense of seeking expert advice, has its place, it is still very much a one-way flow of information. 

Beyond that, the detachment that comes from being an outsider looking in, means that consultancy, when poorly carried out, can rely too heavily on hypotheticals and over-theorizing. 

The view is that consultants don’t deal with actual execution, they rarely "get their hands dirty", and this gap between advice and action often leaves clients frustrated and projects unfinished. 


The dynamics of collaboration
Collaboration, on the other hand, is a multi-directional exchange where all parties actively participate in problem-solving and execution.

This formulation of strategy will typically evolve through a dialog between stakeholder members holding different viewpoints through a holocentric approach. And, through this dialogue process, unknown unknowns will emerge due to the interplay between the various stakeholder viewpoints.

And it’s in that mutli-directional exchange where consultancies can face their biggest issues.

Clients that seek out consultancies have incredibly complex issues solved not just through strategy but through people management, retraining, digital infrastructure, culture change and more. 

These service lines require different skillsets, inputs, and interact with different members of the clients’ business. This creates a series of siloed expert/client relationships, making it difficult to provide holistic solutions. 

The answer lies in collaboration, breaking down these silos and integrating diverse perspectives to tackle complex challenges head-on.


Shifting mindsets
Collaboration in today’s marketplace is a fundamental shift in mindset, where consultants move beyond providing advice and actively participate in execution and implementation. 

It's about building true partnerships with clients, sharing knowledge and resources, and bringing more of the execution experts further “upstream” to help co-create solutions that deliver tangible results.

The argument against this has always been cost concerns, scale challenges, and overwhelming the client. However, bringing a closer link can help in the long-run, an execution-informed strategy is more likely to be aware of risks, potential blockers, feasibility and success. 


Building a collaborative culture requires a multi-faceted approach:

• Leaders must model collaborative behavior in order to foster trust among team members, and celebrate collaborative successes. 
• Firms need to align their organisational structure, compensation systems, and culture to support and reward collaboration. 
• Consultants must proactively seek opportunities to collaborate, build relationships with influential colleagues, and develop strong teamwork skills.
  
  

This requires careful planning and execution in order to succeed

• Making sure each collaborator understands their specific role, deliverables, and responsibilities. 
• Establishing clear communication channels, protocols, and tools to ensure transparency and alignment.
• Investing time in building rapport and understanding each other's skills, working styles and values.
• Recognising and encouraging diverse perspectives through behaviour and ways of working. 
  
  

Key Takeaways

• Recognise that collaboration is not just a trend, but a fundamental requirement for success in today's consulting landscape.
• Develop the structures, systems, and culture necessary to support and reward collaboration.
• Provide training, resources, and opportunities for consultants to develop their collaborative skills and build strong relationships.
• Ensure that all collaborative efforts are ultimately focused on delivering exceptional value and tangible results for clients.

Look inside TheTin

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We work with you to understand your reality, cut through the complexity and turn them into actionable strategies that deliver measurable results.


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