Collaborating To Create More Value
When Florian Schatz seeks out a broader view on the challenges facing his Austrian consulting firm SHS Unternehmensberatung, he turns to Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education. The managing partner has attended the Leading Professional Service Firms program, as well as Aligning Strategy and Sales and Authentic Leader Development. To maximize learning and brainstorming in these programs, Schatz has brought his colleague and managing partner with him each time. He explains what he's found most valuable about these experiences, and why he keeps coming back to HBS.
"I've attended several Executive Education programs at Harvard Business School with my managing partner. What stands out for me is the professionalism of the HBS faculty. They design the curriculum to provide a broader view of the industry challenges and then hone in on specific issues facing the firm.
Each day, my colleague and I discussed how to apply what we learned to our management consulting company—from implementing customized solutions that increase sales efficiency to aligning support services that create more value. The diverse feedback from the faculty and our multinational peers has helped us improve the way we align our strategy, organization, and people—as well as recruit, attract, and retain qualified consultants.
Two key questions I continue to ask: Does this strategy help us create more value? Do we hire professionals or future partners? The biggest lesson I learned at Leading Professional Service Firms was: We are who we recruit!"