Be down to earth
We’re direct. We keep it simple and we speak and write in plain English. We believe that consulting is about listening, using your experience and getting to the point.
Example: Our reports don’t list client problems in management waffle: we suggest solutions in simple language.
Do it right
We’d rather get it right than look good. We believe in being thorough, data-driven and consultative to solve the problem properly, not come up with numbers that work for a month then fall in a heap.
Example: When our schedule and data was affected by team illness, we immediately ran a quality audit and then spent weekends and extra time to ensure it was right – at no client cost.
Be smart about it
We pride ourselves on the quality of our team, how much they know, and their commitment to staying up-to-date and well informed.
Example: Cindy spends at least 10 days a year in classroom/online learning, and Cindy reads many books and listens to business-related podcasts each year.
Be ethical
It’s about acting with integrity in what you do, how you do it, and how you speak about it. We understand that the public sector has strong processes to ensure ethical behaviour, and we embrace that.
Example: We don’t do expensive gifts for any of our clients, not wanting to put them in the position of having to declare or register them.
Focus on service, not sales
We’ve worked with consultancies where projects are just seen as a chance to sell something else. That isn’t who we are. We want to work with you, not work on you to buy something.
Example: We deliver designs for solutions to problems without attaching a proposal to do it. We only deliver proposals when we are invited to – which surprises a lot of new clients.
Have a life
We believe that our team and our clients should have a balanced life. We accept peak times occasionally – but not as the norm.
Example: We organised a remote project so a team member could be home with his kids midweek. And one of our principals has a regular midweek art class.
Put relationship first
We like what we do and the people we work with. And though we have to do it, we don’t like selling. So we rely on doing a good job and being trustworthy.
Example: One senior public sector manager has hired us more than 10 years after a previous job. We’re proud of that.