Why I started NEXTConsulting: The Power of a Single Question
As we continue to endure this dizzying existential moment, I’m heartened by the recollection that great disruptions in my life have always led to great discovery. Call me an eternal optimist, but I know we can overcome our doubts and fears and move forward even when the world seems to be turning upside-down.
In fact, NEXTConsulting was born during just such a time in my life, albeit less dramatic. When I left my last COO role, I saw consulting as an interim phase -- an opportunity to pause, take a breath and do some stimulating work before soldiering on to my next corporate role. But it wasn’t long before I fell into an old habit: overthinking my decisions. What if I remained independent and built a new business? How would that affect my life? Where would it take me in 5 years? In 10? Should I just stick to Plan A and return to the corporate world?
Halfway into a large consulting project I had a call with a trusted business advisor. He listened patiently to my “what ifs” and then asked me, “What part of consulting is the most fun?”
Fun? What does fun have to do with anything? Isn’t it all about achievement, advancement, conquering one peak before heading off to the next? But I played along and answered, “developing teams and businesses.”
“Well then, that should be your goal,” he replied. “And if consulting is the best path toward that goal, you have your answer.”
Suddenly, I got it. I realized he was asking me something I ask every team I work with: What does success look like? I recall one particularly challenging transformation. Our team sat in my office and debated priorities and pacing. As I listened, it became clear that while we all had a vision of success, each vision was unique. We hadn’t reached any consensus, so we were all talking over one another. We hadn’t agreed on what success looked like for the business, nor even for the specific actions we were discussing.
what does success look like?
As a business leader, I have found this one question to be a powerful tool for delivering results. When success goes undefined, we resort to overthinking – that is, churning ideas over and over in our heads without settling on an actionable solution. We feel overwhelmed. We mistrust our judgement, and we’re unable to move forward. Asking ourselves what success looks like is the antidote to overthinking. Approaching an issue through the lens of success puts every decision and every idea into context – not to mention that it’s much more fun (and far less exhausting) than weeding through every scenario no matter how unlikely. This single question helps frame the end state and profoundly impacts collaborative problem solving and solution building. It accelerates a team’s ability to debate, align, and execute toward a collective goal, leading to quick wins that build buy-in and commitment.
The foundation of the NEXT Approach
I believe in this question so strongly that we ask it at the start of every consulting engagement. Typically, we organize a facilitated session with stakeholders that follows these four steps:
1. Brainstorm: We open the discussion by welcoming all ideas without judgement and gain an understanding of the full diversity of opinion and perspective. This provides transparency into how each stakeholder defines success.
2. Debate: Together, we evaluate each idea on its merits. We discuss the various visions of success, what they have in common, where they diverge or conflict, and to what degree they are achievable.
3. Align: Our discussion leads to greater clarity around these goals so that leaders arrive at a fully shared vision of success and how best to get there.
4. Act: Based on the team’s deliberations, we create functional plans with accountability, in support of an aligned approach.
Asking “What does success look like?” and aligning teams to the answer has led to big results – long range plans, operational resets, reinvigorated product pipelines, new distribution centers, complex implementations – all of which at first may have seemed overwhelming. It also led to the birth of an entire business: NEXTConsulting. We recently leveraged it yet again to create a statement of purpose for our company. Here is what we decided upon:
To free the creative and human capital of our clients through thoughtful planning and operational excellence by drawing on the skills, ability and knowledge of our team.
This blog is just one result of that process – one way in which we can draw on our skills and experience to help you to achieve your organization’s vision of success. So, let me ask you: What does success look like to you?
As you continue to reimagine your business, I look forward to hearing your thoughts and invite you to join in the conversation by commenting below. If you’d like to be notified of our latest blog posts, please join our mailing list.
Looking for more? Let’s chat about ways in which NEXTConsulting can drive operational excellence to realize your vision.