Openside has worked with this ‘Big Four’ strategy consulting firm since 2012. In this time, we have delivered Consulting Skills programmes for Senior Partners through to junior consultants, Leadership programmes, Partner strategy workshops, and Keynote Speaking at Partner conferences.

We also provide ongoing coaching and mentoring to the leadership team. The client sponsor has kindly given us these thoughts on the impact made by Openside:

We wanted to offer consultancy services similar to existing global strategy consultancy firms…

“Our strategy consulting division was set up around 2005. While we knew a lot about the industry, we didn’t really have the right methodology and some of our products and services were quite inefficient.

We wanted to offer consultancy services more akin to the large existing global strategy consultancy practices and we were particularly keen to start thinking in a more hypothesis-based manner.

The initial programme was a success so further programmes were rolled out…

One of our alumni had recently moved to an existing Openside client and so had attended another programme run by them. This former employee recommended that we should speak to them as he thought the services they could offer might be interesting to us, as he knew our current circumstance and the Openside programmes he had attended had impressed him.

We followed his advice and in 2012, Openside delivered their first programme to our Junior Consultants on ‘Analytical Problem Solving’.

This initial programme was a success so further programmes were rolled out to more Senior Managers.

The relationship with Openside was upgraded from simply ‘course provider’ to coach, consultant and friend…

However, in order to fully embed change in our group we needed further alignment from our group of partners.

So we organized a meeting between the Managing Director of Openside (William Johnson) and a Senior Partner. We were sufficiently impressed following this meeting that we asked William if he would work with our Senior Partner group directly.

I believe it was at this point that the relationship with Openside was upgraded from simply a ‘course provider’ to the role of coach, consultant and friend.

We have used Openside every year since to provide advice regarding our strategy and our brand.

They make us think differently and they provide very, very good advice…

Openside are very good at challenging our Partners. They make us think differently and they provide very, very good advice.

We employ very demanding people and yet we continue to use them regularly.

They are always helpful. We definitely see them more as ‘mentors’ who do not just provide ‘a training course’.

I think it is this flexibility and client focus that shows that Openside really do practise what they preach.

Crucial to building our team and shaping our culture for the long term…

From a P&L point of view, we definitely see Openside as a long-term investment and not as a short-term cost.

We see they are crucial to building our team and shaping our culture for the long term.

I believe that Openside could be the best-kept secret in Professional Services. They are like a ‘Trojan Horse’ in that they have come into our organisation and had a profound impact on the way we think.

Taught us the art of asking questions and they make us think…

Openside make us challenge ourselves and they encourage us to challenge the status quo.

They have taught us the art of asking questions and they make us think.

As a firm we need to continue to develop our talent and our methodologies. We need to continue to work efficiently and with a long-term perspective.

I believe that Openside are the perfect partner to help us achieve these long-term objectives.

Based on our experience, I would have no hesitation in recommending Openside to other professional services firms.”

What participants from this firm have said on recent post-programme feedback forms:

“The course exceeded my expectations in terms of added value and useful frameworks. Excellent speakers who encouraged participation and team work.”

“The tutors were complementing each other in a marvellous way and the training was very useful due to the extended experience that they brought in and their insightful inputs and business knowledge”  

“Very enriching programme with powerful tools for my daily work” 

“Useful and well-explained toolkit for improving our approach to clients and projects” 

“This programme has been the first touch with strategy consulting. It has been very interesting, and helped me to understand how to come up with valuable ideas that make an impact on the client” 

“It should be a must for an entry-level consultant”

“Instructive and a good foundation for someone with no prior consulting experience”