How to Create Value from Your Time

How can you get more things done in the same…
24 Hours You Have?

In this new Legacy program, Michael shares how, as a leader within an organization, you can accomplish a lot more with the 24 hours per day you have.

Some specific insights covered include:

• Setting up rules for how to work with unorganized people to get things moving and allow for some sanity (2:00)

• The process Michael follows to develop original thinking (3:00)

• How can you set up so that from every engagement, you can have a thought leadership piece and adopt those articles for internal and external publications (3:50)

• Working with clients to help you come up with new approaches in a way where everyone benefits (5:00)

• A key role you need to create on your team that will allow you to get a lot more done (7:42)

• A specific team structure that allows you to successfully manage multiple demanding projects in parallel. Michael explains why you give it a precise structure, use distinct terminology, track it, and give credit (9:00)

• How Michael worded and structured things when he would pull people in to work on proposals that resulted in elevating the work and making it much more prestigious to be involved. This approach resulted in Michael not having to work on many proposals. More generally, how to create pride in the work you are asking people to do (11:30)

• Why you should not be asking people for help and what you should do instead (12:35)

• What clients get very excited about that is also very good for you (13:20)

• How to have extremely loyal people on your team (14:10)

• How to take away pressure from you from driving many things (14:50)

• Creating a generational communicator that explains why you do certain things or why you do them in a certain way (16.30)

• Creating a system that makes your team members more valuable (16:40)

• Specific integration steps to follow if you want to focus on quick integration (17:15)

• Working with the Marketing part of the company in a way that builds a lot of value for everyone involved (18:00)

• What can completely change the dynamics of what you are doing with clients (18:15)

• Creating a sanitized and internal version of thought leadership (20:05)

• The easiest way to get parts of your organization in other countries to pull you into their projects (20:35)

• Leveraging the core thing you are doing and extracting more value from that activity (21:55)

• How to make your thought leadership stand out (22:20)

Michael is the most organized and effective person I know. He can do in 1 day what other people can't accomplish in 6 months. I have never met anyone more skilled when it comes to being an effective leader (among his other remarkable talents). So having an opportunity to learn from him is a huge privilege and honor for me personally, and I hope you are making the most of this rare access to his original (versus derivative, which is what you find in most places) thinking and often unexpected approaches which are only shared after they are battle tested so they can set you apart from your peers and competitors.

If you are a Legacy member, you can access the "How to Create Value From Your Time" program in your account on StrategyTraining.com. And if you are not a member, you can enroll here (scroll down to membership options):

www.strategytraining.com

Thank you for being a part of the StrategyTraining.com community. Your growth and success are important to us, and we are here to support you every step of the way. So if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at team@firmsconsulting.com.

Access New Program (Legacy Members)

Take care,

Kris Safarova 
Presiding Partner FIRMSconsulting.com & StrategyTraining.com

P.S. If you are an Insider, you can upgrade to Legacy and come back to Insider WITHOUT losing Insider status. To upgrade, you can go to the Legacy section on StrategyTraining.com, the system will offer an option to upgrade. The system will also automatically use any credit you have associated with your Insider account towards Legacy membership. As a Legacy member, you will not only unlock additional programs within the Legacy membership area but will be able to submit 2 questions per month and receive tailored input from Michael/me, taking into account the specifics you shared of your unique situation. That alone is worth a lot more than the cost of the upgrade. You can get personalized guidance twice a month. If, down the road, you want to switch back from Legacy to Insider, please email team@firmsconsulting.com so we can ensure your Insider status is retained (provided there are no gaps in membership).

We just released new episodes of The Bill Matassoni Show, Season 2 (23 episodes overall). Below is a small excerpt to give you a preview...

"There's a lot to be said for developing hybrid value chains to reach both social and economic goals.

I bring this up for a reason: I am not impressed with Corporate Social Responsibility efforts by companies.

They don't do much.

I don't see any evidence of impact or staying power.

I don't think it helps the company in its core business, and if it's not helping a company with its core business, it's going to go away.

It's not going to last.

I don't get a sense of commitment, whereas hybrid value chains will help governments."

- The Bill Matassoni Show. Season II
Episode 23

"Everyone thought the strategy practice
would help set McKinsey apart.

Yet, it was the organizational design practice
with partners like Tom Peters who got things going."

Bill had the benefit of a wonderfully varied career in marketing (and strategy) for over 50 years. You can imagine what being able to access 50 years of experience as a senior leader in some of the top organizations in the world, including as a senior partner at McKinsey and BCG, can do for you and your business. 

In season II of The Bill Matassoni Show, we're back in this wonderful house. This is the house that Bill and his wife, Pamela, bought about 30 years ago. It's a classic mid-century modern house that Philip Johnson designed. It looks like a Bond house in some ways.

Bill is back to share some of the best marketing and business strategy secrets he picked up along the way.

By far, the biggest theme of Bill's career is how do you sell ephemeral things.

How do you sell the soft stuff? Because Bill’s career, not by plan, has been selling soft stuff. He headed marketing for United Way of America. How do you sell philanthropy? More importantly, how do you sell secondary demand for philanthropy? It's easy enough to get somebody to give. But how do you go after the bigger givers who think seriously about philanthropy?

Bill’s first job out of Harvard Business School was to sell people on treating their high blood pressure. How do you convince people to treat a disease that’s not curable? Treat a disease that requires behavior change (no salt, lose weight, maybe give up some of their favorite foods, all those things), and keep them on that regimen. That's a tough sell. You learn how to sell high blood pressure treatment, you learn how to sell, you learn how to market. 

Bill was worldwide head of marketing and publications (including McKinsey Quarterly), and brand, as a partner at McKinsey for 18 years. And later for six more years at the Boston Consulting Group.

How do you sell top management on strategy consulting?

How do you sell million-dollar engagements? Engagements that cost three, four, or five hundred thousand a month. What are you selling?

And then later on, after Bill retired from McKinsey and the Boston Consulting Group, he joined a firm called Tapestry, which really figured out how to use marketing in multi-stakeholder environments. It's one thing to use marketing in somewhat simple markets where there's a company, there's a competitor, and there's a customer. But what happens when you have all sorts of other players, regulatory agencies, government, and patient advocates, all those players are in the system, too. Can marketing work there? Bill thinks it can. And the experiences Bill had in the last part of his career proved that to Bill. 

All of those things, to Bill, are ephemeral things. 

Whether or not you sell blood pressure treatments, if you learn the principles of how to sell ephemeral things, just imagine how much easier it is to sell whatever else you might be offering.

So, Bill had an increadible career, and you can have a front-row seat to learn from Bill. 
 

Get Started

If you are a member, access the first 23 episodes here or click the button below.

The Bill Matassoni Show Season 2 (Insiders & Legacy Members)

If you are not a member yet, to access The Bill Matassoni Show, Season II (plus Season I and other advanced programs), enroll below (scroll down to membership options and select Insider or Legacy).

www.strategytraining.com

Remember, my team and I are here to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at team@firmsconsulting.com.

What does it take to become...
The Youngest Partner Running a Key Practice

We just released 5 new episodes of the much anticipated Analyzing a Strategy Partner's Career program. Here are the episodes you can look forward to (more than 50 minutes of new riveting, thought-provoking transformational training): 

ASPC 16 Happiness = Impact + Purpose + Results (10:46)
ASPC 17 Learn, and learn effectively (10:14)
ASPC 18 Resourcefulness trumps resources (09:44)
ASPC 19 Know why you are valuable to the firm (10:52)
ASPC 20 Know when, from whom and what you need to learn (10:50)

This program builds upon the foundational knowledge established in Partnership. Memoir and (Re)Building a Consulting Practice. 

You will find detailed maps, charts, and analyses to break down and analyze a strategy partner's key career moments. We address pivotal questions that can shape your career, such as:

• What does it take to become a partner in just 5 years? 

• How many engagements does one need to master strategy? 

• How many years will it take for a partner to master strategy? 

• What types of engagements teach the core strategy skills? 

• What types of skills must a consultant cumulatively learn to become a strategy partner?

• Does a weak/average engagement rating lead to a CTL? 

• How important is the first engagement? 

• What mix of clients must an aspiring strategy partner serve? 

• Does public sector work help with the partnership nomination? 

• How to professionally and correctly challenge decisions at the firm?

• How do remuneration and special bonuses change over time, levels, and across regions? 

• Does one learn more in an engagement that is going well or poorly? 

• Is it better to be staffed in an elite/weaker and/or western/emerging markets office? 

• What types of partner mentors are needed?

• What is the mix (and number) of corporate strategy engagements needed to master corporate strategy? 

• How to take a leadership role as an associate and where to take a leadership role as an associate. 

• Can one specialize early, and how can this be done? 

• How does one sell the right way, and why is this important? 

• What is the partner engagement workload like? 

• What drives happiness levels as one becomes a partner? 

• Can one be promoted from the Solutions Team to generalist consultant? 

• What happens if the top consultants do not follow you as a partner? 

• What are the pivotal career moments? 

• Does one need to work with many different partners to improve the odds of a partnership nomination? 

• What types of internal roles create the most value? 

• What types of sales strategies can be used?

• What happens at the senior partner level? 

• What can you not be good at and still be promoted? 

• Who checks the partners’ thinking? 

• How does a partner develop new ways of thinking and build a reputation?

This program is designed to impart approaches, ways of thinking, techniques, and strategies that transcend the consulting industry. It offers valuable lessons for any professional seeking to enhance their strategic thinking, leadership skills, ability to influence, and career progression.

Some people are successful wherever you place them because they just get things done. They know how to figure out and navigate the system. And they create the kind of outsized value that makes them valued highly by the most influential people within the system.

The skills you can develop by going through this trilogy (Analyzing a Strategy Partner's Career—Partnership. Memoir—(Re)Building a Consulting Practice) are highly transferable and should not be ignored regardless of whether you are in consulting or not. 

As with all of Michael's programs, these episodes are delivered in a riveting manner, ensuring that you are not only learning but thoroughly engaged with the content. Multiple times, clients have told us that our programs are better than Netflix and HBO. Plus, they can make you the most influential person in the room. 

Analyzing a Strategy Partner's Career (Insiders & Legacy Members)

The Bill Matassoni Show

Season II
(Not To Be Confused With Season III, Which Is Also Being Released)

We just released five new episodes of The Bill Matassoni Show, Season 2 (20 episodes overall). Below is a small excerpt to give you a preview...

"You didn't pick people on the basis of their seniority at McKinsey. It was, after all, a meritocracy. So, I ended up working with senior guys, junior guys. Guys with great ideas. It mattered. But also guys with courage. People who were willing to speak out on some subjects.

And Peters was a rebel. At McKinsey, he didn't consult much. He was loud. He didn't dress properly. The first time I met him, he was in an executive washroom ..., and it looked like he was trying to take a shower in the sink.

He had just gotten off a plane from Germany.

He said: "Hi, I'm Tom Peters."
I said, "Hi, where are you coming from?"
"I'm coming from Frankfurt."
"So, what were you doing over there?"
"I gave a speech."
"How did it go?"
"Great, great!"

And that was Tom Peters. It was an incredible relationship. And Tom gave me a lot of credit for the success of "In Search of Excellence." Why? Because I decided that I was just going to run with people who seemed to be exciting and had guts.

And, by the way, I had a lot of partners coming to me saying, "I don't think we hired you to spend a lot of time with Tom Peters." I said, "You didn't hire me for any reason. I'm going to figure this out." And Peters and I made history. The best-selling business book... Five million copies."

- The Bill Matassoni Show. Season II
Episode 17

Everyone thought that strategy practice
would help set McKinsey apart.

Yet, it was the organizational design practice
with partners like Tom Peters.

Bill had the benefit of a wonderfully varied career in marketing (and strategy) for over 50 years. You can imagine what being able to access 50 years of experience as a senior leader in some of the top organizations in the world, including as a senior partner at McKinsey and BCG, can do for you and your business. 

In season II of The Bill Matassoni Show, we're back in this wonderful house. This is the house that Bill and his wife, Pamela, bought about 30 years ago. It's a classic mid-century modern house that Philip Johnson designed. It looks like a Bond house in some ways.

Bill is back to share some of the best marketing and business strategy secrets he picked up along the way.

By far, the biggest theme of Bill's career is how do you sell ephemeral things.

How do you sell the soft stuff? Because Bill’s career, not by plan, has been selling soft stuff. He headed marketing for United Way of America. How do you sell philanthropy? More importantly, how do you sell secondary demand for philanthropy? It's easy enough to get somebody to give. But how do you go after the bigger givers who think seriously about philanthropy?

Bill’s first job out of Harvard Business School was to sell people on treating their high blood pressure. How do you convince people to treat a disease that’s not curable? Treat a disease that requires behavior change (no salt, lose weight, maybe give up some of their favorite foods, all those things), and keep them on that regimen. That's a tough sell. You learn how to sell high blood pressure treatment, you learn how to sell, you learn how to market. 

Bill was worldwide head of marketing and publications (including McKinsey Quarterly), and brand, as a partner at McKinsey for 18 years. And later for six more years at the Boston Consulting Group.

How do you sell top management on strategy consulting?

How do you sell million-dollar engagements? Engagements that cost three, four, or five hundred thousand a month. What are you selling?

And then later on, after Bill retired from McKinsey and the Boston Consulting Group, he joined a firm called Tapestry, which really figured out how to use marketing in multi-stakeholder environments. It's one thing to use marketing in somewhat simple markets where there's a company, there's a competitor, and there's a customer. But what happens when you have all sorts of other players, regulatory agencies, government, and patient advocates, all those players are in the system, too. Can marketing work there? Bill thinks it can. And the experiences Bill had in the last part of his career proved that to Bill. 

All of those things, to Bill, are ephemeral things. 

Whether or not you sell blood pressure treatments, if you learn the principles of how to sell ephemeral things, just imagine how much easier it is to sell whatever else you might be offering.

So, Bill had an increadible career, and you can have a front-row seat to learn from Bill. 

Get Started

If you are a member, access the first 20 episodes here or click the button below.

The Bill Matassoni Show Season 2 (Insiders & Legacy Members)

We have just released the first executive update (38 SLIDES) for the Corporate Strategy Refresh for Large Industrial Group in the Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level.
 

***

The Corporate Strategy Refresh for Large Industrial Group consists of 4 Executive Steering group presentations. For the first update, we are covering such areas as:

- engagement deliverables and scope
- engagement design
- client team onboarding planning
- the tried and tested process to ensure the attainment of engagement deliverables within the timeframe
- value chain pro forma activity plan
- the engagement team structure
- planned updates to ensure the Executive Steering Committee is kept abreast of developments
- the framework to determine Company 1's economic model
- financial overview slides addressing sales performance versus budget, variable sales to net sales ratio, etc.
- the underlying principles of benefits tracking
- the  benefits tracking framework to ensure accurate reporting of scoreboarded benefits
- a process to manage Quick Wins
- Quick Wins stream's potential areas of analysis
- key concerns around the engagement
- a proposed participative and informative communication plan
- lessons learned on Company 2 engagement

HOW TO FIND THE CORPORATE STRATEGY REFRESH FOR LARGE INDUSTRIAL GROUP (38 SLIDES):

1. Log in to The Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level, membership area.
2. See the "FULL ENGAGEMENTS" dropdown. 
3. Select "Corporate Strategy Refresh for Large Industrial Group (38 SLIDES)."
4. The Corporate Strategy Refresh for Large Industrial Group consists of 10 parts for Executive Steering Group Presentation 1.

If you are The Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level, member, here is the direct link to these particular updates (38 SLIDES).

If you joined an Advanced Level of the Strategy Control Room today, you would find the most powerful strategy, problem-solving, consulting, and results-oriented leadership reading library in the world. The resources include:

• Michael's explanation slides for selected programs on StrategyTraining.com

• 11 full engagements

• Change Management Influence & Persuasion Center of Excellence 

• Detailed Business Case Methodology Center of Excellence 

• Encyclopedia of Strategy Analyses Center of Excellence 

• Corporate Training Center of Excellence

• One-Week Immersion: Consulting Onboarding / Consulting Mastery Center of Excellence

• 31 proposals

• Flipcharts

• Layout guides

• 17 strategy and problem-solving books which we do not make available anywhere else

• 2 brand new strategy and problem-solving books just released and not available anywhere else

• 11 book drafts never before available and not available anywhere else

• Case interview materials for Felix, Rafik, Samantha, and Sanjeev, case interview exhibits, case interview solutions

• The evolution of corporate strategy

• The business case toolkit

• Implementation and operation toolkit

• Corporate strategy toolkit

• Strategy maps

• And more 

Enroll as a Strategy Control Room Member

We have just released the second update (90 SLIDES) for the Corporate Training Center of Excellence in the Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level (overall 431 SLIDES).

***

Why is this CoE different and important?

Corporate employees who work alongside elite management consultants need to ramp up their skills to the level of the best consultants, but they typically only receive a day to a week, at most, of training. And it's not even full-time training. So, the training must be distilled into what is truly necessary for someone who does not have a consultant's background. They do not have the luxury of learning the skills over the years.

This CoE, which we will continue to update, teaches only those primary critical skills that corporate employees must learn. It is designed to be studied over a week at most. This is a crucial difference versus consultants who learn over the years and receive feedback from partners. This is a CoE where you work alone with no guidance. It was a highly requested CoE and is based on the actual programs we teach corporate employees who need to operate at the level of elite consultants.

***

Corporate professionals need and want to learn the skills from the management consulting profession to excel in their careers. As management consultants, we adhere to rigorous standards due to the expectations set by our clients. In a corporate environment, whether you are part of an internal strategy unit or simply aspire to acquire top-tier management consulting skills, there are specific, impactful skills that we can teach.

In this section, we will explore the essential skills needed for someone in a corporate setting to effectively collaborate with consultants and to perform consulting tasks independently, whether consultants are present or not. We aim to equip corporate employees with a curated selection of the most effective management consulting skills, enabling them to operate at a consultant's level.

For those interested in a deeper dive into management consulting skills, strategy, and more, we invite you to explore the Strategy Control Room (Advanced) and Insider or Legacy membership within StrategyTraining.com.

This CoE is guided by the Pareto Principle, focusing on the 20% of skills that can generate 80% of the impact. Based on our experience of working with professionals around the world, we understand the skills they need to advance their careers. This method ensures we teach only the most essential skills needed in the corporate world, omitting those that are less relevant to non-consultants who wish to perform at a high level.

We have reviewed all our client programs to extract tailored training programs for corporate employees. These are now available in the new section on SCR (A), where you will find skills that, when applied consistently, lead to significant outcomes. A prime example is our meeting management techniques from The Leadership Handbook—a simple skill that, when executed well, yields formidable results.

If you believe there are specific skills from the consulting world that your company should be teaching, please contact us at team@firmsconsulting.com. We possess the world's largest non-public, deeply curated library of management consulting tools, techniques, methodologies, books, and proposals that we assembled over decades. These resources are useful not only for management consulting but also for teaching how to be an effective, results-oriented leader within the corporate world. Whether you are in the industry or management consulting, the ability to pitch and manage complex assignments remains crucial. We encourage you to leverage these skills to enhance your professional capabilities.

HOW TO FIND THE CORPORATE TRAINING CENTER OF EXCELLENCE (341 + 90 SLIDES):

1. Log in to The Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level, membership area.
2. See the "CENTER OF EXCELLENCE" dropdown. 
3. Select "Corporate Training (431 SLIDES)."
4. The Corporate Training Center of Excellence consists of 5 parts for the first and second updates.

If you are The Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level, member, here is the direct link to these particular updates (431 SLIDES).

If you joined an Advanced Level of the Strategy Control Room today, you would find the most powerful strategy, problem-solving, consulting, and results-oriented leadership reading library in the world. The resources include:

• Michael's explanation slides for selected programs on StrategyTraining.com

• 10 full engagements

• Change Management Influence & Persuasion Center of Excellence 

• Detailed Business Case Methodology Center of Excellence 

• Encyclopedia of Strategy Analyses Center of Excellence 

• Corporate Training Center of Excellence

• One-Week Immersion: Consulting Onboarding / Consulting Mastery Center of Excellence

• 31 proposals

• Flipcharts

• Layout guides

• 17 strategy and problem-solving books which we do not make available anywhere else

• 2 brand new strategy and problem-solving books just released and not available anywhere else

• 11 book drafts never before available and not available anywhere else

• Case interview materials for Felix, Rafik, Samantha, and Sanjeev, case interview exhibits, case interview solutions

• The evolution of corporate strategy

• The business case toolkit

• Implementation and operation toolkit

• Corporate strategy toolkit

• Strategy maps

• And more 

Enroll as a Strategy Control Room Member

We have just released Rebuilding a Consulting Practice (48 SLIDES), another powerful piece of content in the Strategy Control Room (Advanced Level). You will find detailed maps, charts, and analyses to break down and analyze the key career moments on how to become a partner at a rapid pace.

Some of the SLIDES include:

• Mapping out a path to partnership and visually analyzing the patterns that provide important insights for your own career reboot.

• Being mentored by two very different types of partners, both of which were equally necessary for success.

• Mapping out numerous corporate strategy studies and a handful of non-strategy engagements.

• Mapping out how the work overlaps and the workload picks up exponentially once the ability to lead case teams and clients is mastered.

While Insider/Legacy is the largest and most powerful video and audio training library in the world for management consultants and corporate leaders (based on the size of the library, quality and uniqueness of content, and feedback from our long-term members), the Strategy Control Room (Advanced) will always have more content. This is because it takes a lot longer to prepare video and audio programs versus releasing the written resources related to the program.

An example of this is study decks for a particular study. StrategyTraining.com has 3 studies, and the Strategy Control Room (Advanced) has 10 full engagements.

So the Strategy Control Room (Advanced) gets some resources that are coming to Insider years down the line and some resources that will never be converted to programs. 

HOW TO FIND REBUILDING A CONSULTING PRACTICE (48 SLIDES):

1. Log in to The Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level, membership area.
2. See the "CAREER" dropdown. 
3. Select "Rebuilding a Consulting Practice (48 SLIDES)."
4. Rebuilding a Consulting Practice consists of 23 parts.

If you are The Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level, member, here is the direct link to this particular update (48 SLIDES).

If you joined an Advanced Level of the Strategy Control Room today, you would find the most powerful strategy, problem-solving, consulting, and results-oriented leadership reading library in the world. The resources include:

• Michael's explanation slides for selected programs on StrategyTraining.com

• 10 full engagements

• Change Management Influence & Persuasion Center of Excellence 

• Detailed Business Case Methodology Center of Excellence 

• Encyclopedia of Strategy Analyses Center of Excellence 

• Corporate Training Center of Excellence

• One-Week Immersion: Consulting Onboarding / Consulting Mastery Center of Excellence

• 31 proposals

• Flipcharts

• Layout guides

• 17 strategy and problem-solving books which we do not make available anywhere else

• 2 brand new strategy and problem-solving books just released and not available anywhere else

• 11 book drafts never before available and not available anywhere else

• Case interview materials for Felix, Rafik, Samantha, and Sanjeev, case interview exhibits, case interview solutions

• The evolution of corporate strategy

• The business case toolkit

• Implementation and operation toolkit

• Corporate strategy toolkit

• Strategy maps

• And more 

Enroll as a Strategy Control Room Member

The MasterPlan Advanced
5 New Episodes

We are thrilled to announce the release of five new episodes of The MasterPlan Advanced, bringing the total to 15 episodes. Over the past seven years, we have introduced three transformative programs within The MasterPlan series.

Core Programs

• The MasterPlan (available to Insiders and Legacy members)

• Implementing the MasterPlan (available to Insiders and Legacy members)

• A MidLife Strategy Update (exclusive to Legacy members)

New Additions

We are now introducing two significant new additions to The MasterPlan universe:

• The MasterPlan Advanced (for Insiders & Legacy members)

• The MasterPlan: Next Level (members-only book exclusive to the SCR (A) members)

Program Distinctions

These programs serve distinct purposes, building upon each other to provide a comprehensive MasterPlan development and implementation path.

• The MasterPlan and Implementing the MasterPlan are the foundational programs that introduce core concepts and strategies for personal and professional growth, setting the stage for further exploration and application.

• The Midlife Strategy Update provides a detailed case study of developing and implementing The MasterPlan during midlife (around age 45).

• The MasterPlan: Next Level is a members-only book exclusively available to the Strategy Control Room (Advanced Level) members. It significantly updates and refines the concepts from the original program, serving as a bridge to The MasterPlan Advanced. It includes robust exercises designed to baseline your life, providing a practical framework for assessing and planning your growth.

• The MasterPlan Advanced can help you bring your MasterPlan to the next level. It is designed for those seeking a more in-depth understanding and ready to apply advanced strategies to their personal and professional lives.

The MasterPlan Program Impact and Evolution

The original MasterPlan and Implementing the MasterPlan have consistently been the most viewed programs on StrategyTraining.com, receiving outstanding feedback for their transformative impact on our members' professional journeys and life strategies. A MidLife Strategy Update holds the record for the most viewed among Legacy offerings. The MasterPlan Advanced was born from the experiences Michael and Kris have had over the last two years while updating their own MasterPlans for the next few decades and working with executive clients through the same process. The MasterPlan Advanced introduces powerful new concepts around investing, relationships, building a strong family unit, and more. It is a full new program being released in parallel with "The MasterPlan: Next Level" (SCR (A) members-only book).

Don't Want to Work on This Alone?

In addition to these programs, there is also The MasterPlan Acceleration executive coaching program, where you can work personally with Michael and me as you develop your MasterPlan. This allows you to receive our mentorship and coaching on each aspect of your MasterPlan, taking into account your unique set of assets, your life's purpose (including helping you figure out what your life's purpose is), and your unique situation. The program is designed to allow clients to see the opportunities and risks they may otherwise miss, and develop new powerful ways of thinking and making decisions.

I often hear from members of the FC community that they did not apply for executive coaching with us because they are not as successful as some of our clients. I personally encourage you to apply. If you know my story and if you know us, it will not be a surprise to you that what we are looking for when selecting clients is not your level of success but the kind of person you are and what your intentions are as it relates to using the power and influence once you get it. If you take a look at our Titans executive coaching, for example, which is a 1 year program where we work very closely with each client (1:1 in very small groups) as we progress from week to week towards particular goals, each client within Titans program is a prior coaching client. And some of those clients started with us while at university and we had the honor of being their guide throughout their entire career journey. Apply here.

Get Started

If you are a member, access the new episodes here or click the button below.

The MasterPlan Advanced (Insiders & Legacy Members)

If you are joining as a new member, start with:

• The MasterPlan 

• Then Implementing the MasterPlan

• A MidLife Strategy Update (if you are a Legacy member)

• Then, The MasterPlan: Next Level (if you are a SCR (A) member)

• And The MasterPlan Advanced to make the most of this seminal program

To access The MasterPlan Advanced, enroll below (scroll down to membership options and select Insider or Legacy).

www.strategytraining.com

As we approach the midpoint of the year, it's wise to reflect on our progress and make adjustments if needed. Continuing with the same approach and expecting different results will not work. 

The MasterPlan series provides a comprehensive framework for personal and professional growth. It offers a structured approach to developing a cohesive career and life plan, refining your decision-making process, and identifying your unique strengths and advantages. By following The MasterPlan, you can gain clarity and direction, enabling you to make the most of the remaining year and beyond.

Take this opportunity to invest in yourself and your future. The MasterPlan can be transformative, but it's up to you to take action. Remember, my team and I are here to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at team@firmsconsulting.com.

We have just released the first update (341 SLIDES) for the Corporate Training Center of Excellence in the Strategy Control Room (Advanced Level). 

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Why is this CoE different and important?

Corporate employees who work alongside elite management consultants need to ramp up their skills to the level of the best consultants, but they typically only receive a day to a week, at most, of training. And its not even full time training. So the training must be distilled to what is truly necessary for someone who does not have a consultant's background. They do not have the luxury of learning the skills over the years.

This CoE, which we will constantly update, teaches only those primary critical skills that corporate employees must learn, and its designed to be studied over a week at most. This is a crucial difference versus consultants who learn over the years and receive feedback from partners. This is a CoE where you are working alone with no guidance. It was a highly requested CoE and is based on the actual programs we teach corporate employees who need to operate at the level of elite consultants.

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Corporate professionals need and want to learn the skills from the management consulting profession to excel in their careers. As management consultants, we adhere to rigorous standards due to the expectations set by our clients. In a corporate environment, whether you are part of an internal strategy unit or simply aspire to acquire top-tier management consulting skills, there are specific, impactful skills that we can teach.

In this section, we will explore the essential skills needed for someone in a corporate setting to effectively collaborate with consultants and to perform consulting tasks independently, whether consultants are present or not. We aim to equip corporate employees with a curated selection of the most effective management consulting skills, enabling them to operate at a consultant's level.

The first update covers:

• Consulting Skills Workshop Introduction

• Consulting Skills Workshop - Day 1

• Consulting Skills Workshop - Day 2

For those interested in a deeper dive into management consulting skills, strategy, and more, we invite you to explore the Strategy Control Room (Advanced) and Insider or Legacy membership within StrategyTraining.com.

This CoE is guided by the Pareto Principle, focusing on the 20% of skills that can generate 80% of the impact. Based on our experience of working with professionals around the world, we understand the skills they need to advance their careers. This method ensures we teach only the most essential skills needed in the corporate world, omitting those that are less relevant to non-consultants who wish to perform at a high level.

We have reviewed all our client programs to extract tailored training programs for corporate employees. These are now available in the new section on SCR (A), where you will find skills that, when applied consistently, lead to significant outcomes. A prime example is our meeting management techniques from The Leadership Handbook—a simple skill that, when executed well, yields formidable results.

If you believe there are specific skills from the consulting world that your company should be teaching, please contact us at team@firmsconsulting.com. We possess the world's largest non-public, deeply curated library of management consulting tools, techniques, methodologies, books, and proposals. These resources are useful not only for management consulting but also for teaching how to be an effective, results-oriented leader within the corporate world. Whether you are in the industry or management consulting, the ability to pitch and manage complex assignments remains crucial. We encourage you to leverage these skills to enhance your professional capabilities.

HOW TO FIND THE CORPORATE TRAINING CENTER OF EXCELLENCE (341 SLIDES):

1. Log in to The Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level, membership area.
2. See the "CENTER OF EXCELLENCE" dropdown. 
3. Select "Corporate Training (341 SLIDES)."
4. The Corporate Training Center of Excellence consists of 3 parts for the first update.

If you are The Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level, member, here is the direct link to this particular update (341 SLIDES).

If you joined an Advanced Level of the Strategy Control Room today, you would find the most powerful strategy, problem-solving, consulting, and results-oriented leadership reading library in the world. The resources include:

• Michael's explanation slides for selected programs on StrategyTraining.com

• 10 full engagements

• Change Management Influence & Persuasion Center of Excellence 

• Detailed Business Case Methodology Center of Excellence 

• Encyclopedia of Strategy Analyses Center of Excellence 

• Corporate Training Center of Excellence

• One-Week Immersion: Consulting Onboarding / Consulting Mastery Center of Excellence

• 31 proposals

• Flipcharts

• Layout guides

• 17 strategy and problem-solving books which we do not make available anywhere else

• 2 brand new strategy and problem-solving books just released and not available anywhere else

• 11 book drafts never before available and not available anywhere else

• Case interview materials for Felix, Rafik, Samantha, and Sanjeev, case interview exhibits, case interview solutions

• The evolution of corporate strategy

• The business case toolkit

• Implementation and operation toolkit

• Corporate strategy toolkit

• Strategy maps

• And more 

Enroll as a Strategy Control Room Member

The Bill Matassoni Show Season II

Bill is back to tell more stories from 50 years in the world of marketing and share some of the best marketing and business strategy secrets he picked up along the way.

By far, the biggest theme of Bill's career is how do you sell ephemeral things.

How do you sell the soft stuff? Because Bill’s career, not by plan, has been selling soft stuff. He headed marketing for United Way of America. How do you sell philanthropy? More importantly, how do you sell secondary demand for philanthropy? It's easy enough to get somebody to give. But how do you go after the bigger givers who think seriously about philanthropy?

Bill’s first job out of Harvard Business School was to sell people on treating their high blood pressure. How do you convince people to treat a disease that’s not curable? Treat a disease that requires behavior change (no salt, lose weight, maybe give up some of their favorite foods, all those things), and keep them on that regimen. That's a tough sell. You learn how to sell high blood pressure treatment, you learn how to sell, you learn how to market. 

Bill was worldwide head of marketing and publications (including McKinsey Quarterly), and brand, and all that stuff, as a partner at McKinsey for 18 years. And later for six more years at the Boston Consulting Group. How do you sell top management on strategy consulting? How do you sell million-dollar engagements? Engagements that cost three, four, or five hundred thousand a month. What are you selling?

And then later on, after Bill retired from McKinsey and the Boston Consulting Group, he joined a firm called Tapestry, which really figured out how to use marketing in multi-stakeholder environments. It's one thing to use marketing in somewhat simple markets where there's a company, there's a competitor, and there's a customer. But what happens when you have all sorts of other players, regulatory agencies, government, and patient advocates, all those players are in the system, too. Can marketing work there? Bill thinks it can. And the experiences Bill had in the last part of his career proved that to Bill. 

All of those things, to Bill, are ephemeral things. 

Whether or not you sell blood pressure treatments, if you learn the principles of how to sell ephemeral things, just imagine how much easier it is to sell whatever else you might be offering.

So, Bill had a pretty crazy career, and you can have a front-row seat to learn from Bill. 

The Bill Matassoni Show Season 2 (Insiders & Legacy Members)