Most consulting engagements are project-based: a defined problem, a defined deliverable, a defined end date. The Board Advisory Retainer is different. It is a standing relationship with a senior consultant, structured around two sessions per month and unlimited written Q&A. It is not appropriate for every organisation, and we are specific about when we recommend it.
The Situations Where It Fits ¶
The retainer works best for founders or small leadership teams who are making significant decisions on a regular basis and want a consistent outside perspective on those decisions. It is particularly useful in the period after a company has grown past the point where the founders can hold all the relevant information in their heads, but before the organisation is large enough to justify a full-time CFO or COO. It is also useful for boards that meet infrequently and want a standing resource between meetings.
What Two Sessions Per Month Produces ¶
The sessions are structured, not open-ended conversations. Before each session, the client sends a written agenda: the decisions or questions they want to work through. We prepare a short briefing note in response. The session then works through the agenda systematically. The output is a written summary of the decisions made and the reasoning behind them. Over six months, this produces a documented decision log that is useful in its own right.
The Six-Month Minimum ¶
We require a six-month minimum commitment for the retainer because the first two months are largely diagnostic. We are learning the organisation, its history, its culture, and the specific ways its leadership team thinks. The value of the retainer increases significantly in months three through six, as we are able to bring context to each session that would not be available in a shorter engagement.
What It Is Not ¶
The retainer is not a substitute for a full engagement when a full engagement is warranted. If the organisation has a specific operational problem that needs a diagnostic, or a strategy that needs clarification, the retainer is not the right tool. We are direct about this when clients enquire. The retainer is for ongoing decision support, not for solving a defined problem with a defined deliverable.
If you are considering a Board Advisory Retainer and want to understand whether it fits your situation, get in touch with us. We will give you an honest view of whether it is the right model before you commit.