FAQ- Frequently asked questions

Q: What is operations management consulting?
A: Consulting is giving expert advice to other professionals or businesses. Business management consulting is normally administered with a team, or teams, of people since the inputs for discovery would involve detail of systems, distinctions, relationships, and multiple perspectives. PLS Managment Consulting provides technical knowledge in systems methodology, project management execution, problem solving, process design and elevation, strategic planning, collaborative leadership, and employee engagement and development. The input of business management consulting is system information, generally from the client. The output is system maps and specific recommendations, actions, processes, and/or approaches from the consultant to yield step-ahead outcomes.

Q: What qualifications do your business management consultants have?
A: Lori Fisher is a

• Project Management Institute certified project management professional, and certified wicked problem-solving practitioner

• Cabrera Research Labs certified trainer in systems thinking, mapping, and leadership

with over twenty-five years of leadership success in biotechnology, aerospace, tooling and steel industries in both private and global organizations. Lori Fisher Bio can be accessed here.

Q: What sets PLS Management Consulting apart from other business management consulting firms?
A: At PLS Management Consulting, we possess a deep intellect and capacity to grasp the nuances of processes, people, ideas, mental models, plans, relationships and market interactions. We focus on our clients' needs as if they were our own. We have experience in strategic, operational, and tactical execution, and the requirements for complete integration. We have an agile mindset that facilitates connection and understanding and decreases project timelines, managing and controlling your investment. We are uniquely qualified to provide insight for generating step-ahead outcomes. We fully guarantee our services.

Q: What is business management coaching?

A: Coaching is similar to mentoring and involves a transfer of information to an individual in a 1:1 setting, with time for reflection and redirection, if complete learning is lacking. Management coaching generates mindfulness, or self-awareness and insight. It will generate many "aha" moments, since the topics of discovery are tailored to the development, business environment, and mindset of the individual. It is appropriate for established managers, though it could be given to a professional navigating new territory or with new demands involving group interaction and supervision, and process responsibility and authority. We are versed in management philosophies and how being purposeful permeates your every interaction, and your business. This is an aspect of leadership that many neglect, and do not get right. We can show you ways you can view your role differently and gain a different perspective of what it means to manage, and how to be successful, achieving step-ahead outcomes. The input of coaching is guided introspection and learning, and the output is purposeful action, mindfulness, confidence, and true work joy with improved management effectiveness.

​

Q: Could clients receive both coaching and training services?

A: Absolutely! We have a metered executive coaching style management training Systems Thinking in Operations Management. This management program involves weekly coaching sessions with prepared and tailored training of material to support technical operations management. Upon completion of the course, there are complementary sessions allotted for consulting sessions, if additional expert advice in application of a concept arises. So, with Systems Thinking in Operations, training and coaching is followed up with consulting.

Q1: What is management training?
A1: Training is an activity leading to skilled behavior. It can be administered 1:1, to a group, remotely or on-site. It could involve the presentation of ideas or terminology, retrospectives, tests, worksheets, and workshops. Management training focuses on skills and tools to facilitate management and connection. The input of training is instructional material, and the output is learning, with most information flowing from the trainer to the client. PLS Management Consulting training yields problem-solving, communication, employee engagement, collaborative leadership, and systems thinking skills.

Q2: What sets PLS training apart?
A2: Our training is instructional, as any training needs to be, but we move beyond instruction into the realm of learning, shifting mental models, and gaining deep insight. Our course content is tailored to technical operations with an emphasis on systems thinking. We rely on DSRP (Cabrera Research Labs) for teaching and use in problem solving and process design and elevation. Our material is unique, thought provoking, enjoyable, and immediately and easily implemented and impactful. A principle of The PLS Framework is modularization, which is transferrable structure, usable in endless conditions and situations. To understand this, realize that using prefabrication increases the speed of building construction by 20-50%. Similarly, knowing effective thought constructs will increase the speed of constructing shared mental models, ideation, and decision making. Long story short, PLS Management Consulting engages your people, and they will transform your business.

Q3: How does PLS Management Consulting determine the appropriate client approach, training, coaching, and/or consulting?
A3: The approach we recommend would begin with a review of your company website, and if appropriate social media profile, google search for news, and market analysis. We want to come to the client meeting with an overview of your business. We normally start discoveries through remote or onsite conversations with business owners, CEOs, senior leadership, human resources leaders, engagement managers, program managers, engineering leaders and/or operational excellence leadership. These discovery sessions, as little as an hour, are complementary, since we are discovering together, the client concerns, pain points, and goals. These goals and issues, along with the business maturity, would indicate the level of services we would recommend.

Q3: How much does it cost to use PLS Management Consulting?

A3: The cost of PLS Management Consulting services will depend on the specific needs of your project and the level of involvement required. We offer competitive rates, and standard pricing with volume discounts for training.  We will work with you to create a cost-effective solution that meets your needs, and more than pays for itself. PLS Management Consulting guarantees our services. We also give discounts for veteran, minority, and women-owned businesses.