I have a long-held belief that “Culture = Brand™.” In the last couple of years, culture has finally become a buzz word in business and it is long overdue. The concept that culture is joined to the hip of leadership, and to the brand experience of almost any company is finally seen as real. It’s no different for you and me as consultants and FCSI members.
Design and MAS are two distinct paths in FCSI, yet we’re more aligned than not. Each demands we have expertise and empathy for our clients; that we be consistent in performance and our results; that we listen and provide the best solution for our client’s project within their given budget to provide their brand consistency.
In Design or MAS its incumbent on us to build, provide and hit projects on deadline, on budget and be ethical in the process. These actions and results are at the very core of our Society. In whatever we’re asked to do, we turn dreams into achieved goals for our clients.
In both fields of expertise our suggestions and solutions better hold “both/and” results beyond the “either/or” questions we typically get asked. One example? It doesn’t matter our discipline; artificial intelligence is coming at us fast. And for all of us, it makes the people part of our work more, not less, challenging.
Plenty to ponder
In the weeks to come, I’ll share my thought on these topics for those of us that define ourselves as part of the MAS world. My goal for this short column is to support anyone of us that calls ourselves consultant, coach or guide.
Our companies and the issues we face internally are not much different than those of our clients. Paradox is more common than not; simple answers, “yes” or “no” are less and less likely.
There are plenty of questions to ask and answers to step into with our own internal great resignation challenges. What’s up with finding, hiring and training folks with the potential of truly great consulting skills?
Remote work isn’t so bad, most MAS folks live on the road as much as we’ve been home historically. The real issue for us to talk about is how to stay home and keep sane?
What does “really great” feedback feel like and more so, sound like? Is there really such a thing as a feedback system? Let me tell you, there is.
So many consultants I know are dealing with their own issues in the great resignation – culture and consistency is the real issue. Stay tuned for more on these topics.
Ah, MAS consultants; we’ve got plenty to ponder, unique issues with which to deal, conflict to resolve and paradox to manage for ourselves as much as we do with and for our clients.
Of course, everything I’ve shared here about design and MAS can also be applied to our allied member partners as well. We are a community of excellence.
Rudy Miick FCSI is the founder and president of The Miick Companies, LLC.
