Outsourced strategic direction pack

A consultant often works on a defined topic, delivers a recommendation, then stops. Outsourced strategic direction is set up over time: it prepares trade-offs, tracks priorities, challenges projects and maintains a decision rhythm. The need is no longer only to know what to do, but to decide and steer over time.

You are not hiring a full-time director. You reserve leadership capacity: a cross-functional view, decision preparation, coordination and follow-up. The CEO remains the decision-maker and remains accountable. It is a leadership function that actually exists, without creating an extra salaried role.

No. We analyse, challenge, propose scenarios and follow execution. The final trade-off and accountability for decisions stay with the CEO or leadership. Our role is to improve the quality and speed of your decisions — not to legally or operationally replace the company’s directors.

Yes, depending on the level of support. We prepare the forums (agenda, data, expected decisions, points of attention) and can take part to challenge and frame trade-offs. You remain in charge of the forum and of the votes.

Yes. We do not necessarily replace your internal or external experts (firm, agency, CIO, legal counsel, managers). We help align their work with the same objectives and the same priorities, so the CEO is no longer the only convergence point.

A 3-month initial phase is recommended: diagnosis and set-up, then steering and first decisions, then measurement and stabilisation. A leadership function is not built in a month. After that, support continues month by month, with a review every 3 months to maintain, strengthen, reduce or move to autonomy.

It depends on the capacity reserved. The essential level typically means a monthly checkpoint; the strengthened level a fortnightly steering rhythm, plus preparation of leadership forums. Short checkpoints and on-demand analyses are added when a structural decision cannot wait. The exact number is set at scoping, not in a rigid bundle.

Yes. Meetings are not the core of the assignment: value is also created between checkpoints — preparation, decision-support notes, dashboard, decision log, expert coordination and action follow-up. That is one of the factors that make the fee vary.

We scope the need, help choose or align the right expert, and steer the workstream at leadership level. Operational services or specialised projects (compliance, IT, digital, AI, etc.) are budgeted separately when they go beyond the strategic direction role.

Yes. Every 3 months we ask whether the assignment is still useful at the current level. Possible decisions are: maintain, strengthen, reduce, or move to autonomy. We have no interest in staying longer, or more present, than you actually need.

With leadership indicators, not hours spent: average time to a trade-off, share of strategic projects on time, number of simultaneously active projects, selected business KPIs, decisions actually executed, and the level of dependence on the CEO. The aim is to change the quality of decisions, not to “come and talk for two hours a month”.