Filed under: Collaboration and social, Digital workplace, Intranets, Latest Features
Great intranets and digital workplaces are delivered by successful teams. This is a process of continuous improvement, with a lifetime of enhancements and fixes. Successful teams encounter the same challenges as everyone else, but are equipped to push through them.
When we started as consultants, the level of intranet knowledge was almost non-existent. Teams felt isolated, and we were learning alongside them. This has changed enormously over the years, with the flowering of the intranet community, and the maturing of intranet teams.
Modern intranet teams know a lot, across a wide range of topics, from content and UX, to strategy and change management. That’s not to say they know everything about all topics, but most teams are willing to jump in and learn.
It’s for this reason we often find that many intranet teams need advice, not consulting.
Get expert advice
Many intranet and digital workplace teams are knowledgeable and experienced. Despite this, teams inevitably have areas of strength (which they focus on) and weaknesses (which they avoid). This is reflected in the intranets that they create and sustain.
In many cases, teams need advice and input to address these gaps, not a huge consulting engagement.
That’s why we offer intranet mentoring – a structured way of getting help, at the point of need.
This kind of advisory or mentoring engagement is useful when:
- You need a second opinion, or expert advice, when key decisions need to be made.
- There’s a skill gap to fill, which can be addressed by knowledge transfer.
- There are complex problems to resolve, such as global intranets, or large-scale technology decisions.
- You would benefit from input on what other organisations have done, including what worked (and what didn’t!).
- You need help quickly, and a formal RFP to get consulting help just won’t move fast enough.
For us, this type of engagement is often the most enjoyable. We get to work alongside smart teams throughout a project, often only jumping in when there’s hard stuff to work out.
Our advisory engagements range from a a few hours through to a year of progressive support and advice. Either way, you’re in complete control on where and when your ‘budget’ of help is used.
But don’t forget consulting
While advice can address targeted issues and questions when they arrive, there is still a role for traditional consulting engagements.
Consulting is needed when:
- You need boots on the ground, providing much-needed extra time and resources.
- You’ve got a lot to do, and consulting will allow you to quickly get to the desired outcome.
- You need deep expertise, in an area that is not well-covered by your team members.
- Your boss needs structure, with a clear timetable and deliverables.
At Step Two, our consulting services cover key enterprise topics, including digital workplaces, intranets and SharePoint/M365 support.
Get the right help
Every type of engagement adds value. To get the greatest benefits, start by considering whether you need ongoing advice and support, or a targeted consulting project. Either way, we’re here to help, so get in touch!