Cielo Cinco
Managing a business in the government contracting industry is no easy feat. On top of running your business’s day-to-day operations, you are also on the lookout for open government contracting opportunities and bidding for them. The burden may be too unbearable at times, so business leaders bring in federal management consultants to gain fresh insight into the landscape.
Table of Contents
What is federal management consulting?
Federal consulting is a type of service that assists companies and organizations in optimizing their workflow, identifying structural inefficiencies, and improving business plans.
In a nutshell, you bring in a seasoned federal management consultant to improve your business and recognize organizational hurdles that stop your business from achieving its maximum potential.
How can federal management consulting help your business grow?
Recognize the root causes of your business’s problems
When you are too caught up in managing your business’s day-to-day operations, you might tend to tackle issues at face value. This means that you solve the symptoms as they arise but do not address the actual root cause of your business’s struggles.
A federal consulting professional can help you target problems down to their core. They just don’t solve the problems that you tell them to address. They will identify whether your problem is actually a problem—or it is just a manifestation of an even bigger problem that continues to fester right under your noses.
For better results, the management and the federal consultant collaborate closely with each other by asking the right questions, such as:
- Has the management attempted to resolve this issue before? If so, how did it turn out?
- What other aspects of the business have been affected by this problem?
- Does the management have other solutions in mind that they have not put into practice yet?
- If the problem has been “solved” before, what were the measures taken to address it?
It is normal to feel reluctant to divulge information and seek help from an outside party. However, being transparent with these aspects of your business can help paint a clearer picture of the current status of your organization.
Recommend solutions based on their diagnosis
Once you have explored all the possible causes of your business’s present struggles, your federal consultant will compile their findings and then translate them into easily understandable chunks by presenting a summarized report. The critical information found in the report will be the foundation of the solutions that you can choose to take.
Support you in implementing the said solutions
Change never happens instantly and effortlessly. It takes time, patience, and courage to make it happen.
Depending on your relationship and arrangement with your federal consultant, they can assist you in your change management process, lend their industry insights to help you implement your discussed solutions, and more.
However, it is inevitable that there will be members of your organization who will resist these changes, especially if they feel excluded from the process. And so, it is best if your federal consultant can guide you with their insights without being too involved. And instead, onboard your members and make sure that you integrate all of their efforts to implement your solutions fully.
Permanently improve your business
It is the goal of every consultant to leave a lasting value on your company. The insights and techniques you have gathered during your working engagement with your federal consultant will improve your perception of leadership, especially during these tumultuous times. This way, you can develop even better strategies for any future hurdles that you may face.
What should you look for in a federal management consultant?
They are experts in the industry your business is currently in
Countless federal consulting firms promise that they can help you optimize your business to the fullest. However, you should not forge blindly into selecting which of them will help you manage your business. Instead, select thought leaders who have displayed their prowess in your industry. You need to onboard someone who knows how your industry works, the ins and outs, and the rules of the trade.
They are willing to collaborate with you to come up with creative solutions
What makes federal management consultants valuable is their ability to translate your concerns and develop actionable solutions. And in engagements such as this, communication is king.
As the one heading your company’s operations, no one knows your business as you do. On the other hand, the federal consultant’s experienced perspective can see problems and inefficiencies by looking outside. If you bridge your internal and external views about your company, both of you can collaborate to develop strategies that can boost your business’s growth.
Their thinking is flexible and innovative
Federal leaders have their own different sets of problems they grapple with. So, why should you settle for a consultant who only offers cookie-cutter solutions for your business? For example, if your business belongs in the field of Information Technology, your federal consultant should be agile in adapting to the industry’s ever-changing tides.
Choose a federal consultant who can offer you well-researched solutions using existing and emerging technologies. Furthermore, select the consultant who is quick on their feet because business opportunities wait for no one.
They keep your affairs confidential
It is part of the job of federal consultants to know the intricacies of one’s business. This helps them understand the context of your struggles and present you with strategies that can address them. And that is why you should select a federal consultant who upholds the secrecy of your business to the utmost level.
For example, you might come across a federal consultant who says, “This strategy worked best for this XYZ government contracting firm I’ve worked for. It reduced their costs to 31% and won more contracts from federal agencies by 32%.” This raises a red flag regarding the consultant’s ability to keep confidentiality.
Federal consultants should only cite instances where a business strategy is effective only in a broader sense. Sensitive business metrics shouldn’t be shared with others, no matter the circumstances.
They genuinely care about your success
Beware of “consultants” who are only after your money. Look for someone willing to walk you through the entire journey and not just settle for presenting a summary of their “findings.” Your federal consultant should be actively present with you, from exploring and exposing the root cause of your problems to guiding you through implementing your changes.
