With many businesses looking for outside-the-box answers during a challenging economic period, consulting firm Pondera Advisors is betting on an approach that asks “why” as much as “what” to drive client value and fuel its own growth.
The recent addition of retired former WOOD Radio general manager and Industrial Concepts owner James White represents the latest in a trend of slow but steady growth for Pondera, which, according to partner Joe Day, tries to get beyond the question of what clients should do to succeed, focusing on the qualities that make good leaders.
“We’re more facilitators, not content experts per se,” Day says. “What we do is help organizations create the conditions for honest dialogue so sustainable change can come about. Clients know more than they need to know about their business, so when we help to facilitate the strategic planning process or do executive coaching, we do leadership development, and we believe that begins with the leader.”
Day says Pondera is not actively seeking new consultants, preferring to let people find the firm and its opportunities, but he indicated those with solid business experience and a skill for earning the trust of others could be a good fit.
“Some people are afraid to look under the hood, and for someone who is going to do the work we do, you can’t be afraid,” Day says. “We attract businesses and clients that are interested in doing not just your traditional help-me-execute-better, but we help them answer, ‘What is it exactly you’re trying to execute, and why?’ And what are the unintended consequences of your decision-making? ‘How do I create a humane environment, but with an eye on the bottom line at the same time?’ Those are things you can’t solve. You just have to manage them.”
Source: Joe Day, Pondera Advisors
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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