I went to a networking event and was talking to a very intelligent, articulate young woman. As in all these events, the questions were asked as to jobs, employment, and a short explanation of job duties.
This young lady was a sourcing agent for a fashion house. Her function was to find the best manufacturing house to obtain raw materials. She then asked what I did, and I told her.
Her next comment was, did I have experience in sourcing for a fashion house or the garment center? My answer was equally succinct, no I did not. I then added, Nor did I need to have that specific expertise to add value to both her job and her company as a C-Suite Consultant.
She didn’t see the logic in that statement, nor the value I could add, since I didn’t know sourcing. She is not alone; many people, up and down the management chain fail to understand the true function of the C-Suite.
An individual hired to fill a C-Level position needs to be an expert on management and the Suite position they are filling, not in the industry they are working. The experts are those who hold the senior and mid-level managerial roles.
My example to this young woman was a few questions about how she did her job. I asked if after she found a new manufacturer who placed the order? Her empathic answer was she did! She couldn’t wait for Purchasing to get around to it, and management let her order the material.
This company policy and procedure, as I told her, was lacking in segregation of duties and making it much easier for the unscrupulous to embezzle money from either the company or receive kickbacks from the vendor. There were no checks and balances.
The doe-eyed look proceeded as the concept began to seep in, that a) there was a lack of audit and fraud prevention rules at her company, b) me, the non-expert had added value.
The C-Suite can bring tremendous value to companies, for various reasons; from years of business experiences to being segregated and apostate to the particular corporate cultures that pervade every business.
SBA * Consulting s diverse group of C-Level and Senior Managerial Consultants bring thousands of years worth of business acumen to a client s issues. We tell it like it is, and will assist the client in whatever way is possible to correct deficiencies, choke points, poor policies and create a thriving and growing company.
