Scott-McGregor – ‘Level 2’ consulting
Scott-McGregor is an organisation practice focussed on change & leadership.
We were once described as a ‘level 2’ consultancy:
Level 1 consultancies focus on strategy; they have both resources & reputation for fundamental analysis & recommendation. Level 1 is normally the reserve of organisations such as McKinsey, Bain etc. There are relatively few high-profile organisations at this level.- Level 2 consultancies help translate Level 1 strategies into action. Work at this level is about change & transition, about understanding & interacting with strategic plans & finding the best ways to put them into practice & achieve long-term results. It has to be multi-disciplinary & take account of the whole organisation & the people who need to make things happen. The process is supported by resources at Level 3.
- Level 3 consultancies develop specific skills needed to underpin change & support transformation. These are skills-training organisations, technical specialists etc; there are many people to choose from at Level 3.
The person who labelled us as Level 2 was working in the nuclear power industry at the time. He drew a triangle just like this & described how he classified consultancies into three Levels. If he needed strategic advice he knew exactly where to go; there was a small group of strong organisations in the Level 1 niche. Equally if he needed skills trainers – Level 3 support – there were plenty to choose from.
What was in short supply – because it needed a particular mind- & skill-set – were organisations that worked at Level 2.
We work at Level 2. We have always labelled our work as ‘strategy into action’ & our aim has always been to help bridge the gap between strategy & the day-to-day activities needed to achieve real, sustained results.
Level 2 consulting is not a straightforward service to define.
It goes beyond ‘process consulting’. ‘Organisation development’ is one term; it has been described as a planned, systematic approach to improving organisation effectiveness that aligns strategy, people & process. It is about applying a strategic & commercial view to the underlying health & performance of an organisation.
However you define it, at a practical level it involves many different activities all aligned towards one goal – organisation performance.
Some of these activities include strategic planning, change management, group problem solving, performance management, talent management, meeting design and facilitation, leadership & team development, business process redesign & customised training.