Oculus Partners has developed a set of principles around what types of consultants we deploy in our engagements.

The first is that the individuals assigned to engagements are former practitioners with an understanding of what it means to implement a recommendation as a leader within an organization. Paying fees for consultants that deliver recommendations that are at best difficult to implement are less than helpful to the leadership team that has requested the consulting engagement. We strive to ensure recommendations have a path towards execution that is both practical and aligned with the business’ ability to execute.

The second is that we seek consultants that wish to extend the capabilities of those individuals we work with. While some consulting firms are brought in to do the work for the company and then leave without having transferred any skill sets to those internal employees tied to the work, we do things differently. Our approach is to better enable our internal partners knowing full well that assignments end, and the internal teams need to continue to move work forward. We do this through several mechanisms such as co-creation sessions, group enablement discussions and informal mentoring arrangements. We are not an organizational effectiveness firm, but as former leaders in industry we have a disposition towards professional development not seen in other consulting companies.

The third principle we focus on is around the characteristics of our consultants. We bring consultants to the table that have “low ego”, “high impact” and “no drama”. While we all have egos, Oculus consultants know how large egos that are on display can undermine the collaborative nature of our collective work. Additionally, we look to take on projects that have an impact to the business outcomes of our clients and our consultants often guide clients away from engagements or scope changes that just do not make a difference in the results. We also know leadership teams have a natural internal competitive dynamic and our consultants work to ensure the way we engage is conducive to bringing all constituents along in an aligned manner.

Oculus Partner’s expertise is focused on understanding the weight and impact of making key decisions, helping those we work with be better when we are no longer there, and executing our work in a way that drives alignment.