How We Work
Our Engagement Philosophy
Integration over isolation
We address organizational systems, not isolated problems. Solutions are designed to work together, not compete for attention.
Capability transfer over dependency
Every engagement builds your team’s expertise. Knowledge and skills transfer continuously. We’re designed for independence, not ongoing fees.
Custom over templates
Your context drives our approach. No predetermined playbooks. The methodology is applied to your situation, not the other way around.
Senior practitioners only
Every team member brings 15+ years of experience. No junior consultants developing skills at your expense. Principal-led delivery, regardless of project size.
Methodology
The Four-Phase Methodology
Every engagement follows the same four-phase methodology. The phases are consistent. What happens inside each phase is custom-designed for your situation.
Discovery & Assessment
- Initial consultation and scope dialogue
- Organizational diagnostic and assessment
- Stakeholder interviews and data gathering
- Current-state analysis
- Findings presentation and recommendations
- Engagement design and team assembly
- Assessment findings report
- Root cause analysis
- Recommended approach
- Engagement roadmap
- Success metrics definition
- Investment proposal
- Time from the leadership team for interviews
- Access to relevant data and documentation
- Honest dialogue about challenges
- Decision-making on the recommended approach
Design & Planning
- Solution design sessions with leadership
- Framework and methodology customization
- Implementation approach definition
- Change strategy development
- Resource and timeline planning
- Risk assessment and mitigation planning
- Target-state design (organizational systems, decision frameworks, and related artifacts)
- Detailed implementation roadmap
- Change management strategy
- Communication framework
- Phased rollout plan
- Success measurement system
- Leadership participation in design sessions
- Decision-making on approach and priorities
- Internal resource commitment planning
- Stakeholder communication preparation
Implementation & Enablement
- Hands-on implementation guidance
- Team-by-team or function-by-function rollout
- Real-time coaching and problem-solving
- Capability building with your team
- Progress tracking and adjustment
- Documentation and knowledge capture
- Implemented systems and frameworks
- Team capability development
- Process documentation
- Tools and templates
- Progress reports and metrics
- Lessons learned capture
- Active participation in implementation
- Leadership modeling of new approaches
- Resources dedicated to the transformation
- Openness to course correction
- Honest feedback on what’s working and what isn’t
Sustainability & Transition
- Knowledge transfer completion
- Internal capability validation
- Continuous-improvement system establishment
- Leadership coaching on sustainment
- Ongoing support structure definition
- Success measurement and recognition
- Complete capability transfer
- Self-sustaining improvement mechanisms
- Internal facilitation capability
- Long-term evolution roadmap
- Final impact assessment
- Ongoing support options (if desired)
- Commitment to sustaining the changes
- Internal ownership of the systems
- Continued leadership attention
- Willingness to evolve approaches as conditions change
Timeline and cost vary by engagement. Length and investment depend on organizational size, scope of transformation, current readiness, and your implementation capacity.
Engagement Models
Four engagement structures, selected based on the nature of the work and your preferences.
Project-Based Engagement
Best for
- Defined transformation with clear scope
- A specific challenge to address
- Time-bound initiative
Structure
- Fixed or phased scope
- Defined deliverables
- Clear timeline
- Milestone-based progression
Investment
- Project-based fee, or phased payments tied to milestones
- Transparent pricing based on scope
Retained Advisory
Best for
- Ongoing strategic support
- Multiple initiatives over time
- Continuous organizational development
Structure
- Monthly or quarterly retainer
- Flexible scope within agreed parameters
- Responsive to emerging needs
- Regular strategic dialogue
Investment
- Monthly retainer fee
- Predictable budgeting
- Priority access to expertise
Hybrid Approach
Best for
- Combination of project work and ongoing advisory
- Intensive implementation followed by sustainment support
- Organizations preferring flexible engagement
Structure
- Project phases for major initiatives
- Retainer for ongoing support
- Adapts as needs evolve
Investment
- Combined model pricing
- Optimized for value and flexibility
Praxis Leadership Program
Best for
- Leadership development at a specific level
- Capability building across a function or cohort
- Culture shifts requiring new ways of thinking
- Embedding frameworks from an active engagement
Structure
- Discovery before any curriculum is designed
- Fully custom curriculum — no off-the-shelf content
- Cohorts by level, function, or challenge
- In-person, online, or hybrid delivery
Investment
- Program-based fee by cohort, duration, and format
- Runs as long as the learning requires
Working Together: Mutual Commitments
Successful engagements require commitment from both sides. Here’s what each party brings.
From Us
- Methodology expertise and rigorous approach
- Senior-level team committed to your success
- Transparent communication and progress tracking
- Flexibility to adapt as we learn
- Capability transfer at every step
From You
- Honest dialogue about challenges and constraints
- Leadership engagement and modeling
- Resources dedicated to the transformation
- Openness to examining root causes
- Willingness to make necessary changes
Best Fit When
- You’re facing systemic complexity, not isolated problems
- You’re ready for structural change, not quick fixes
- You value capability building over consultant dependency
- You’re committed to seeing transformation through
What to Expect in Our First Conversation
No sales pitch. Just honest dialogue about your situation and whether our approach is the right fit.
Duration
45–60 minutes
Format
Video call or phone
Cost
Complimentary
Outcome
Mutual understanding of whether to proceed
What we’ll discuss
- What prompted you to reach out
- What you’ve tried so far
- What success looks like for you
- Your timeline and constraints
- Our methodology and approach
- Whether there’s alignment
After our conversation
- If there’s potential fit — we may propose a brief assessment
- If we’re not the right fit — we’ll tell you honestly and often suggest alternatives
- Either way — you’ll have clarity on next steps
How long does an organizational transformation engagement take?
It depends on scope. Focused single-capability engagements can run 8–16 weeks. Standard multi-workstream transformations typically run six to twelve months. Large enterprise programs can extend longer, often delivered in phases with defined milestones. We don’t quote timelines until after Phase 1 — committing to a timeline before understanding the actual organization is a leading cause of failed transformations.
What’s the difference between project-based and retained advisory consulting?
Project-based engagements have a defined scope, defined deliverables, and a defined endpoint — we deliver the work, transfer the capability, and exit. Retained advisory engagements are ongoing strategic support — flexible scope, monthly or quarterly retainer, priority access. Hybrid combines the two: an intensive project phase followed by retained sustainment. The right model depends on whether the work is bounded or continuous.
What does a typical transformation engagement cost?
Investment varies significantly based on scope, complexity, team size, and timeline. We don’t publish typical pricing because it would be misleading — the work isn’t standardized enough for averages to be useful. After Phase 1 discovery, we present a transparent investment proposal with clear scope and milestones. If our pricing isn’t a fit, we say so directly. We’d rather decline an engagement than overpromise on it.
What’s expected from the client during an engagement?
Leadership engagement, dedicated resources, honest dialogue, and willingness to act on what we find. Transformation cannot be outsourced. We bring methodology, senior practitioners, and structured delivery. You bring the organizational reality, the leadership commitment to act on it, and the people whose capability we’re transferring to. If those are absent, no consulting firm — ours or anyone else’s — can fix the underlying problem.
What if we start an engagement and decide it’s not working?
We build review checkpoints into every engagement structure. If the work isn’t delivering value, we’d rather know early — and so should you. We don’t lock clients into multi-year contracts. We don’t optimize for extending engagements. We optimize for delivering the work, transferring the capability, and getting out of your way.
