Management consulting, by its very nature, has had to constantly change and adapt with the times to always ensure it offers clients the best ways to stay ahead of the curve. Whether or not it has always managed this successfully is up for debate, but with every change in the working world consultancies have been there to help understand and exploit new ideas and technologies to further their clients best interests.
This article from Forbes – about strategy consulting specifically – illustrates an interesting point. It asks;
- Have they always structured their advice in the most useful way possible?
- Is there room for more effective solutions by using a ‘whole-brain whole-person’ approach?
This inclusionary approach relates to the more creative/intuitive right side of the brain and everything else making up a person’s decision making, their emotions and their moral viewpoints.
I’m not qualified to answer those questions above – as interesting as they might be – but it did lead me to think about the opportunities for wholesale change in other areas of work.
With COVID-19 effecting everyone everywhere, more and more companies are taking the opportunity to test and use large scale working-from-home initiatives. It will be interesting to see if this potential new system outlasts COVID-19 and ushers in a rapid uptake of large scale WFH. However, as discussed here, it seems there are concerns about the impact of this potential move. The solution posed by working-from-home may not be without significant cost, not only the bottom line but employee wellbeing as well.
This brings us back to the suggested changes in consulting. Are all the initiatives as well thought-out as they should be with regard to employee wellness? The idea of taking your laptop home and doing the same job you’d do at your desk with added technology to help with virtual meetings and conference calls seems perfect, but it leaves more questions in relation to the right side of your brain. How do you turn off from work? Is creativity reduced or improved depending on your work place? and is the lack of social interaction causing issues and miscommunication?
Adaptability and flexibility are topics that always attract us and there is more and more emphasis placed upon them – but it’s important they are implemented in the right way.
We are always interested to hear about the new and innovative solutions our clients are introducing to accommodate people so please do let us know if your company has any benefits you feel should be adopted by more of the market. If however you feel your current role isn’t offering the flexibility you’d like we would certainly be happy to discuss where you might be able to find it.
- by Davey Peyton