Producer's Note: It’s been two years since this episode first aired, and it’s every bit as relevant today. We’ve got some exciting things on these themes coming really soon, so revisit this one and we'll see in two weeks with a brand new episode.
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For decades, traditional consulting (think “management” or “strategy” varieties now synonymous with the Big Three) has been a go-to move for organizations looking for a shake up. Need a bulletproof vision for the future or a new org restructuring that’ll win over the C-suite and shareholders? You can’t beat their analytical prowess, strategy design, and slick presentation.
But too often clients wind up stuck with expensive change plans they can’t execute on their own. Without real coaching, structure, and experienced guidance, these efforts stand a high chance of fizzling out and collecting dust on a shelf. Facing that reality time and time again lead The Ready to study and understand how organizations actually work and evolve. Yes, we’re also consultants—but the processes, outcomes, and experiences we create differ greatly. And that can lead to a whole bunch of confusion.
In this episode of At Work With The Ready, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin delve into the stark differences between traditional consulting and how future-of-work firms like The Ready operate. Because not all consulting is created equal.
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Mentioned references:
VUCA
"participatory change": BNW Ep. 43
"cross-functional teaming": Future of HR Ep. 1
"strategy pancakes episode": AWWTR Ep. 2
00:00 Intro + Check-In: What’s your best advice for moving?
04:37 Disclaimer: This isn’t a takedown episode of traditional consulting
06:33 The Pattern: Traditional consulting is a band-aid for a broken OS
10:20 The deliverable is often confused with an outcome
13:20 Executives and C-suite buy projects for the visible work, not the invisible work
15:31 Traditional consulting is a hedge for the CEO–Board of Directors relationship
17:52 Traditional consulting works around and outside a broken OS; it doesn’t fix it
25:30 Builds dependency on a third party for expertise or sensemaking the market
28:30 What to do instead: prioritize effectiveness even/over growth and extraction
31:34 Figure out where you’ll always want an outside partner, and where you want to learn to do it internally
34:19 Seek our partners you want to be positively disrupted by, if you want to be disrupted
37:57 Contract for the partnership you want and what your needs are
39:19 Decide for yourself what you need and then ask for it, rather than having a third party tell you what you need
42:42 Be clear about what you’re buying, and what it will require from you
45:50 Closing round: What did we learn?
49:10 Wrap up: share the show with your friends and coworkers!
Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.
Ireland