When I get asked what I am, I say I am a business consultant, but what exactly is a business consultant? ‘Consultant’ can be a very broad term for many areas of business improvement. And sometimes it comes with the connotation of someone swanning in and not doing an awful lot. We’ve all met them over the years, but that’s not me I hasten to add!
I’ve worked in industry for many years, at many levels and in many teams. I’ve experienced phenomenal and inspiring leadership, but also the worst kind of leadership. Having seen first-hand the impact both has on employees in terms of their morale, worth and empowerment I use coaching as part of being a consultant too.
I made the decision that I wanted to take all this experience and channel it for the greater good rather than working in one organisation. I’m able to work with leaders as a strategic arm for them enabling them to step back, assess, question and implement change where needed.
As we all know when we are ‘in’ something, often we can’t see for looking. This disables us from making the best decisions for ourselves, our teams and the overall business. This is where I come in and work closely with leader and teams to really home in on how they can become more efficient, productive and resilient.
Why I do what I do
My mission is to create happy, productive and profitable companies which succeed due to the people in the business. These people don’t just work 9-5 but they learn a holistic view of how to succeed. In turn they can create a wonderful ripple effect when taking these skills back to their families and into their communities.
This isn’t just about work, work, work. Go home and mow someone else’s lawn for them (that’s not a euphemism…), bake a neighbour a cake, tell someone that you love them. Just be an all-round decent human being.
Why? Because life is short. That’s my why. What’s yours?
Simon Sinek in Start With Why talks of how great leaders inspire action and explore “why”. His TED talk explains it so succinctly but with passion so if you’ve not seen it before, I’d encourage you to watch it.
What exactly do I do as a business consultant?
Having gained experience across all sectors, I take an objective view of how your business is working. What’s working ‘just fine’, what’s going brilliantly, what’s in dire need of some attention. We map this all out and make a plan of action.
From working with owner-managed small businesses to global corporates, I’m comfortable working at both ends of the spectrum. And with all businesses in between who are scaling or going through change, I work both empathetically and practically with founders, leaders and teams.
Core services which I focus on with clients to improve efficiency, productivity and resilience are:
- Business strategy and planning
- Leadership and executive coaching
- Team development and training
- Process and systems improvements
- Organisational development
- Operational efficiency
How I work with clients
My approach is based on identifying how businesses can run more efficiently and productively. From process and systems improvements, to coaching and training employees to develop and thrive in the workplace – people are always at the core of business.
From the outset, you can be sure you’re working with someone passionate about making a difference. Gaining a thorough understanding of your current needs, future plans and any potential issues along the way, I listen with curiosity and empathy. Building trust is so important for any business relationship so working with integrity and honesty are the starting points. But then comes the fun – after all life is too short to be serious all the time!
I hope that has gone someway into explaining what I do and why. I feel that my role is an important and a vital one and I have seen time and time again the impact it has had. If you’d like to find out more about business consultancy and improving your business, please do get in touch.