3 Ways A Trusted Strategy Advisor Can Help Your Business Grow — Lloyd Emerson Johnson
Recently, I read an article titled 3 ways a trusted strategy advisor can help your business grow published in the Minneapolis/St Paul Business Journal by Jim Molis. Being a strategic advisor myself, this article laid down ‘sound, reliable and intelligent strategies’ which I have leveraged in my work for several years.
This article focuses on the recommendations of Jaime Taets, strategic advisor of SafeNet, and the different ways a strategic advisor can help in business development.
Although several different techniques are adopted by strategic advisors in regard to business development, the central premise is that having a strategic advisor gives more time for the high-level leaders in the company to focus and spend more time in their area of expertise.
“Jaime has helped me see and relieve some of the duties that were holding us back.” said one client CEO.
Being part of a company may blur one's vision to its “blind spots”. Thus, the first recommendation is that strategic advisors help the business grow by giving a fresh and outside perspective. They are “able to ask the hard questions and seek out the answers” and “help the business find the right path forward”, since they are not personally involved in the business.
For example, Keystone helped SafeNet discover that their company could grow by hiring consultants with similar skillsets rather than spreading their resources over a wide range.
Secondly, a strategic advisor knows how to identify opportunities that help the business move from “good to great”. They know what will obstruct one's goal, and assist with identifying ways to overcome these hindrances.
For example, they form business plans, both long-term and short-term which help reach a goal without being overwhelmed. Also, accountability charts have been adopted by many strategic advisors which help them determine the level of involvement or control of people over one aspect of the business.
Thirdly, strategic advisors are involved in ‘tapping into key expertise and valuable resources across many business areas. Thus, they are able to introduce new perspectives to create innovative solutions.
For example, by introducing a marketing officer to SafeNet, Keystone was able to identify weaknesses of the company and introduce those into the company whose skills would help them grow.
The article provides a detailed view of how strategic advisors help businesses grow. If you are curious regarding the various roles played by strategic advisors in helping businesses grow, read the full article here.
