Zack was a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs. The fellowship is a nine-month, post-graduate, rotational program, administered by FOCUS St. Louis. The program enables organizations across several sectors the opportunity to host a fellow for one of their 12 rotations.
While a smart fella, Zack hadn’t had an experience in a consulting firm. He sent me these reflections on his fellowship which I thought were worth sharing.
Dear Dorothy,
Now that I’m a few weeks removed, I wanted to share my observations on Simply Strategy. When I first began my for-profit placement with your business, friends and family would ask me what Simply Strategy does, and I would respond that it’s a strategic consulting firm. This was typically followed by some gentle head nodding and then a look of uncertainty, as if to say, “I think I know what that is but am afraid to ask.” For so many people, the idea of a consulting firm is commonplace and yet altogether perplexing. Through my time working at Simply Strategy, this is what I’ve come to appreciate:
Consulting firms are ubiquitous in the business world. From healthcare to finance, marketing to design, they serve as touch points between industries by lending their specific area of expertise to organizations that require support beyond their own capacities. Simply put, consulting firms solve problems. They play the role of the outsider, looking at an organization objectively. In fact, they are quite similar to the guidelines and role of Coro Fellows.
In the case of Simply Strategy, careful analysis, detailed market research and expertise to apply one of various methodologies are used to identify obstacles to an organization’s success. While important, the next step in the process is the defining trait of a consulting firms. Actionable solutions are pinpointed to create a roadmap for the steps an organization can take to develop, retain, and consistently exceed customers’ expectations.
Simply Strategy finds and articulates actionable solutions with clients.
I like it. Finding and articulating actionable solutions with clients. Thanks for writing our brand descriptor.
Told you Zack was a smart fella.