An overview of the client

For Fortune 1000 clients, ConsultPro is a mid-sized management consulting business that specializes in strategy, operations, and technology advice services. The company, which was founded in 2008, now employs 280 consultants in four locations: Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and San Francisco. Before 2020, ConsultPro had a conventional consulting approach, with consultants working three to four days a week at client locations and the rest of the time at company headquarters. High-touch, face-to-face client relationships and cooperative problem-solving were the cornerstones of the firm's reputation.

The Problem

The COVID-19 epidemic caused an abrupt change to remote work in March 2020, causing ConsultPro to experience an unparalleled disruption. What at first appeared to be a brief adjustment soon exposed more serious difficulties:

• Client Delivery Disruption: The firm found it difficult to sustain the same degree of client engagement and collaboration after on-site work was no longer feasible.
• Gaps in Technology: The infrastructure and tools available were insufficient to support a staff that worked entirely remotely.
• Collaboration Breakdown: Without face-to-face interactions, team cohesiveness and information exchange weakened.
• Work-Life Limitations: Burnout was noted by consultants as work hours increased and boundaries became more hazy.
• Culture Erosion: The company's solid culture, which was based on face-to-face mentoring and friendship, was in jeopardy.
• Development of Businesses Challenges: Conventional methods of relationship-building and networking were no longer effective.

By June 2020, the company was seeing alarming trends: a 24% decline in staff satisfaction scores, an average 18% extension in project delivery timeframes, and complaints from a number of important clients regarding the remote delivery model. Most alarmingly, the company's new business pipeline had shrunk by 35% from the year before.

"We were facing an existential crisis," says Rebecca Martinez, CEO of ConsultPro. "In-person communication, both with clients and internally, was the foundation of our entire company strategy. We knew we had to radically reconsider our methods when that abruptly proved impossible. Additionally, we had to act fast because our clients wouldn't wait for us to figure it out."

Our Method

Following a quick yet comprehensive evaluation of ConsultPro's operations, culture, and client engagement model, we created a complete strategy for remote work transformation that would not only solve the company's current problems but also set it up for long-term success in a hybrid workplace.

Phase 1: Foundation of the Digital Workplace (2 months)

To facilitate distant collaboration and productivity, we started by building a strong basis for the digital workplace:

• Implementation of a Collaboration Platform: Set up an integrated suite of collaboration tools that includes project management, messaging, video conferencing, and document co-authoring.
• Standardized home office configurations, complete with twin monitors, ergonomic furniture, and top-notch audio/video equipment, were made available to consultants.
• Network Infrastructure: To support the full workforce, secure remote access solutions were implemented, and VPN capacity was increased.
• Knowledge Management: To concentrate and make the company's intellectual capital accessible, a contemporary knowledge management platform was implemented.
• Program for Digital Literacy: Created and presented instruction on remote work procedures, tools, and manners.

In order to solve the current productivity issues, this phase needed to be completed quickly. ConsultPro's CIO, Michael Chen, remembers, "We shortened what would typically be a six-month technology rollout into six weeks." "It wasn't perfect at first, but we prioritized getting the essential capabilities in place quickly and then iterating based on feedback."

Phase 2: Virtual Client Engagement Model for Remote Collaboration Sessions (3 months)

After setting up the fundamental infrastructure, we concentrated on rethinking ConsultPro's approach to client interaction in a distant setting:

• Virtual Workshop Methodology: Using digital collaboration tools, an organized strategy for leading highly participatory virtual workshops was developed.
• Client Collaboration Portals: Developed safe, client-specific areas for asynchronous communication, progress monitoring, and document sharing.
• Delivery by Remote Playbooks: Comprehensive playbooks were created for the remote delivery of each of ConsultPro's primary service offerings.
• Virtual Relationship Building: New strategies for establishing and preserving customer relationships without face-to-face communication were put into practice.
• Digital Business Development: redesigned the business development procedure for a virtual setting, incorporating virtual networking and thought leadership webinars.

It took a lot of creativity and trial and error to adapt ConsultPro's high-touch methodology to a virtual setting. Jennifer Thompson, Head of Client Services, says, "We had to challenge our assumptions about what required face-to-face interaction." "We discovered that with the right approach and tools, we could actually facilitate more inclusive and productive workshops virtually than we sometimes did in person."

Phase 3: Culture and Procedures for Remote-First (4 months)

After achieving stability in client delivery, we focused on creating a long-lasting remote-first culture and business model:

• Work Norms and Boundaries: To avoid burnout, clearly defined standards were set about availability, reaction times, and following procedures.
• Virtual Onboarding: Added structured mentorship and networking opportunities to the onboarding process for new personnel in a remote setting.
• Remote Performance Management: Processes for performance reviews and feedback were modified for remote work, emphasizing results above activity.
• Virtual Team Building: To preserve culture and connections, frequent virtual social gatherings and team-building exercises were implemented.
• Wellbeing Program: Started a thorough program to address the social, mental, and physical difficulties associated with working remotely.

In order to change ConsultPro's culture while maintaining its basic beliefs, this phase requires close collaboration with the company's executive team. "We had to be very intentional about culture in a way we hadn't before," says Chief People Officer David Wilson. "When you're not physically together, you can't rely on culture being transmitted through osmosis—you have to deliberately design every aspect of the employee experience."

Phase 4: Ongoing Hybrid Work Model

We collaborated with ConsultPro to create a sustainable hybrid work paradigm that integrated the advantages of both in-person and remote work as the epidemic progressed:

• Office Reimagination: Redesigned workspaces with an emphasis on interpersonal relationships, teamwork, and experiences that are impossible to recreate online
• Protocols for Hybrid Meetings: Developed procedures and furnished conference spaces to guarantee fair participation for both in-person and remote participants.
• Flexible Work Policy: Created a policy that allowed teams to choose the best balance between in-person and remote work according to their own requirements.
• Location-Based Strategy: reduced real estate expenses while preserving connections by implementing a "work from anywhere" strategy with recurring team meetings.
• Constant Improvement: Developed systems for continuing evaluation and modification of the hybrid work paradigm

Outcomes and Effects

ConsultPro has seen outstanding outcomes from the shift to remote work, which has not only helped the company survive the pandemic but also set it up for long-term success in a changing world:

The transition has produced a number of qualitative advantages in addition to these headline metrics:

• Geographic Expansion: By landing important projects in new areas, the firm has grown its clientele outside its conventional geographic footprint.
• Talent Acquisition: The company has been able to employ top talent from anywhere thanks to the remote-first approach, which has increased the variety and caliber of new hires.
• Customer happiness: Customers are grateful for the more adaptable and effective interaction strategy, as seen by the 15% rise in client satisfaction levels.
• Work-Life Balance: Consultants indicate a 28% drop in reported stress levels, improved work-life balance, and less burnout.
• Environmental Impact: By cutting back on business travel, the company's carbon footprint has dropped by about 65%.

"What began as a crisis response has evolved into a tactical benefit. Not only have we survived the pandemic, but we have also come out stronger, with new skills and methods of operation that have given us access to opportunities we never would have thought possible. Our clients are seeing better outcomes, our consultants are more content and productive, and we are able to draw in talent that would not have thought of us under our previous model. The move has radically altered our perspective on our company's future."

— Rebecca Martinez, CEO of ConsultPro

Lessons Learned

Several important observations from ConsultPro's transformation should help other professional services companies who are adjusting to remote and hybrid work:

• While technology is necessary for remote work, culture and interpersonal relationships are what give it sustainability.
• Communicating Intentionally: The casual conversations that typically occur in an office setting must be replaced by more intentional and planned communication when working remotely.
• Results Regarding Activity: Measurement of activity (hours worked, meetings attended) must give way to an emphasis on results and influence when working remotely.
• Limits Are Important: To avoid burnout in a remote setting, it is crucial to establish clear expectations and limitations regarding availability and reaction times.
• The hardest is hybrid: Compared to entirely remote or totally in-person approaches, a hybrid model that successfully incorporates both distant and in-person participants needs more careful planning.

Perhaps most significantly, the ConsultPro instance shows that a well-designed remote work model may offer new benefits in terms of talent, reach, and flexibility while producing results that are on par with or better than those found in businesses that are based on high-touch, in-person connections.