In today’s competitive business world, many companies turn to consultants to solve problems, improve performance, or guide them through changes. Business consulting is a growing industry, offering help in strategy, operations, and digital transformation.
However, while these services are popular, the results often don’t last. One of the main reasons is the gap between consultants’ recommendations and their actual implementation.
There’s a significant difference between the advice consultants give and how it’s put into practice. Often, great ideas on paper don’t translate into successful execution.
In recent years, the situation has become even more complicated. In the age of AI tools like ChatGPT, it’s easier than ever for consultants to deliver attractive presentations, write well-structured reports, and speak impressively. But under this "form," real content and practical experience may be missing.
Studies show that between 60% and 90% of consulting projects don’t deliver the promised results. Even when external firms handle implementation alongside consultants and internal leaders, many projects end up wasting resources, leaving organizations frustrated.
These failures are rarely discussed because companies don’t want to harm their reputation, and consultants avoid admitting failures to secure future contracts. This makes it harder to distinguish between consultants who can deliver real results and those who just look good on paper.
This raises a few key questions:
Why do well-thought-out strategies often fail to deliver the expected results?
Where does the gap between consulting and execution come from?
What can be done to close this gap and ensure plans are successfully implemented?
How can you tell the difference between a consultant with impressive presentations and one who brings real value to your business?
Let’s dive into where things go wrong between consulting and execution and explore solutions to bridge this gap between theory and practice.
1. Theoretical Solutions vs. Practical Solutions
Consultants, especially those in strategy and management, often come with innovative ideas based on best practices from other industries. The problem is that these ideas are built under ideal conditions, which don’t always match your company’s reality.
It’s important for a consultant to have practical management experience, especially in leadership roles, where they’ve made tough decisions and led organizational changes.
Challenges:
Too theoretical: Strategies don’t always consider real-world limitations, like limited resources, outdated technology, or lack of skilled staff.
Lack of practical experience: Some consultants may be convincing, but without hands-on experience, their solutions might not work in practice.
Recommendations:
Ask how they’ll adapt their recommendations to your specific situation, and check if their plans have been tested in real conditions.
Look for consultants who offer practical, step-by-step plans, not just theories or general ideas.
Make sure they’ve experienced difficult decision-making and large-scale changes, not just the ability to talk eloquently.
2. Execution Requires Ownership, Not Outsourcing
Consultants can offer excellent advice, but the success of any plan depends on how well the company takes responsibility for implementation.
Many companies mistakenly believe consultants will handle everything. Real success comes from leadership taking ownership and driving the change.
Challenges:
Too much reliance on consultants: Some companies rely too heavily on consultants without preparing their internal teams to take control.
Lack of leadership engagement: If senior leaders aren’t fully committed to execution, middle management and employees might resist or ignore strategic initiatives, leading to failure.
Recommendations:
Make sure your company’s leadership is fully engaged in execution and ready to lead the change.
Consultants should help you develop internal leaders who can take charge and see projects through to completion.
3. Lack of Support and Adaptability
Many consulting engagements fail during the critical post-strategy phase because consultants move on to their next client after delivering the strategy, leaving companies to manage implementation on their own.
Without ongoing support, it can be difficult to make necessary adjustments when real-world challenges arise.
Challenges:
Lack of adaptability: As companies face unexpected obstacles during execution, they may struggle to adjust the strategy without continued consultant support. Without this, businesses can lose momentum and fail to fully implement the plan.
Losing focus: Without continuous support or regular check-ins, companies can lose focus and stray from the objectives set during the strategy phase, leading to incomplete or failed execution.
Recommendations:
Choose consultants who are willing to stay involved after delivering the strategy, offering continuous support.
Find partners who are flexible and can help adjust strategies as new challenges arise.
4. Lack of Accountability and Misaligned Incentives
A common issue in consulting is that firms are rarely held accountable for final results. Once the strategy is delivered, consultants move on, leaving the company to handle implementation.
Consulting firms are typically rewarded for providing strategic insights, presentations, and frameworks, but they aren’t held responsible for ensuring successful execution. This misalignment leads to consultants disengaging after the strategy phase, leaving the client responsible for execution without sufficient support.
Challenges:
Lack of accountability: Consultants may leave before the plan is implemented, leaving the company to manage on its own. This can cause delays, breakdowns, or incomplete execution due to insufficient resources or expertise.
Focus on theory, not results: Consultants are rewarded for creating strategies, not implementing them. Without careful vetting, companies can be swayed by the presentation rather than the substance behind the recommendations.
Recommendations:
Choose consultants who are willing to take responsibility for final results and stay involved through execution.
Make sure there are clear mechanisms to hold consultants accountable for implementation, not just delivering a strategy.
5. Resistance to Change
Consultants don’t always understand the internal dynamics and culture of a company. That’s why employees might resist new ideas, especially if they feel changes threaten their jobs or work style.
Challenges:
Internal resistance: If consultants lack experience in managing change, they may underestimate the resistance they’ll face.
Entrepreneurial success isn’t always transferable: Even successful entrepreneurs can struggle to manage change in large organizations with complex systems. Success in a startup doesn’t always translate to larger, more structured environments.
Recommendations:
Choose consultants with experience managing change, who can address internal resistance from the start.
Ensure strategies align with your company’s culture and build consensus around them.
6. Consultants’ Recommendations Don’t Fit What the Company Can Do
Sometimes, consultants come up with big ideas, but the company doesn’t have the resources, people, or technology to make them happen. Without a clear understanding of what the company can actually do, ambitious plans become hard to implement.
Challenges:
Superficial evaluation: When consultants don’t understand your business well and assume you have everything needed to execute the strategy, they might propose solutions that don’t fit reality.
Mismatched strategies: If the plan requires big investments or technologies your company doesn’t have, execution might fail.
Recommendations:
Ensure consultants fully understand your company’s real capabilities before proposing a plan.
Ask how they’ll align the plan with your current resources, and request phased implementation to allow adjustments along the way.
7. Fragmented Expertise
A common problem in consulting is the lack of a big-picture view. Consultants may be experts in one area, like strategy, marketing, or operations, but often lack the practical experience to tie these pieces together into a cohesive execution plan.
Hiring different consultants for different parts of the business can result in misaligned strategies and confusion.
Large consulting firms often send junior consultants who can create impressive presentations but lack practical experience to implement solutions. In the digital age, anyone can make a fancy presentation, but that doesn’t guarantee real results.
Challenges:
Limited expertise: Consultants who are experts in only one area may not see the big picture needed for complex transformations.
Junior consultants from big firms: These consultants may have impressive resumes or be great communicators, but they might lack the practical experience necessary for execution.
Recommendations:
Ensure consultants understand your entire business, not just one department or function.
Make sure experienced consultants are actively involved throughout the project, not just in the beginning for presentations. You need someone with experience in implementing complex plans.
How to Close the Gap Between Consulting and Execution
To close the gap between consulting and execution, companies and consultants must collaborate more closely throughout the project.
Real success comes from a long-term partnership, not just delivering a strategy on paper.
Here are a few key steps:
Ongoing collaboration: Consultants and clients need to work together throughout the implementation, making adjustments as needed.
Long-term support: Hire consultants who provide support from start to finish, including follow-up.
Change management: Ensure that consultants help you manage internal resistance and prepare employees for changes.
Building internal capabilities: Focus on developing leadership skills and forming teams, not just relying on consultants.
Shared responsibility: Make sure consultants are accountable for results and stay involved during execution.
Gradual testing: Roll out strategies gradually through pilot programs, making adjustments along the way.
Conclusion: Choosing the Right Consultant
To successfully bridge the gap between consulting and execution, it’s crucial to choose consultants who not only provide good ideas but are capable of turning them into reality.
Consulting shouldn’t end with delivering a strategy. Continuous involvement is needed to ensure that ideas are implemented and bring real results.
Here are some tips for making the right choice:
Choose practical, realistic solutions: Look for consultants who understand your business, offer solutions tailored to current realities, and can be implemented with available resources.
Responsibility and involvement: Make sure they are willing to take responsibility for results and provide post-strategy support, helping you adjust and implement plans step by step as new challenges arise.
Focus on substance, not just style: Avoid being swayed by flashy presentations or beautifully packaged reports. Focus on the consultant’s practical experience and real results achieved in similar projects.
By choosing consultants who are dedicated to both strategy and execution, you’ll turn good ideas into tangible, lasting results for your business.
In a world where appearances can be deceiving, the success of your business depends on substance, the right execution, and having the right partners to guide you through it.
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