Strategy consultants are consulting experts who assist companies in finding answers to nagging questions regarding the future activities of the business. An effective strategy consultant can work with the client to assess the current status of the consumer market and determine if the time is right to move forward with such projects as acquiring a competitor, restructuring the corporate organization, launching a new product line, or engaging in a major new public relations campaign. In this application, the consulting focuses on the possible outcome of any given strategy assuming it were implemented within a current set of circumstances.
While there are exceptions, a strategy consultant is likely to work closely with the management team of a business. One of the main reasons for this working relationship is that management is usually focused on the broad task of maintaining and growing the company, while department heads and employees tend to focus on specific functions within the business. Working with the leaders who see the big picture makes it much easier to quickly access all relevant information and determine if a given approach is really in the best interests of the company.
It is not unusual for a strategy consultant to ask a lot of questions as part of the evaluation process. What has caused the company to wonder if a given strategy would be in the best interests of the company? Would the strategy involve outsourcing functions that are currently handled in-house? How would outsourcing one or more functions impact the overall function and morale of the employee force. Is the time right for this strategy to begin, or are there other events that should occur first? These and other questions will often influence both the form and the counsel that the strategy consultant will offer to his or her clients.
As with many types of consulting work, a strategy consultant must possess several skills that are essential when working with a diverse range of clients. The consultant must be well-schooled in the art of communication, have the ability to accurately evaluate information and make feasible projections for the outcome of specific courses of action, and exhibit enough creativity and vision to see all the potential strategies that would ultimately benefit the customer. Along with these skills, the strategy consultant should have a solid educational and work background that is relevant to the consulting jobs that are accepted. When all these elements are in place, the individual has an excellent chance of becoming an extremely successful strategy consultant.
