Options and the work each one addresses
| Alternative | When to consider it | Responsibility to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Implementation consultant | A defined process needs to be diagnosed, built, and tested | Who owns it internally after the project? |
| Experienced mentor | You want context from someone who has faced a similar situation | How relevant is their experience to this decision? |
| Peer group | You need challenge and perspective from other owners | How are relevance, confidentiality, and follow-through handled? |
| Internal operations manager | The business needs daily operating ownership | What authority and resources will the role receive? |
| Specialist adviser | A technical or professional decision requires expertise | What qualifications and scope apply to that specific work? |
Diagnose the gap before choosing
Write the last three problems you hoped coaching would solve. Separate decisions you need to make from work someone must perform. A useful conversation may help define a problem, but an unbuilt workflow still needs an owner and implementation capacity.
Worked decision example
Illustrative example: an owner receives useful guidance about delegation but the team still lacks an agreed customer-credit limit. A short decision-rights project can turn the intent into a rule the manager can use.
Compare the full commitment
Ask what the provider will deliver beyond conversations, what you must implement, how progress is checked, and when a different specialist should be involved. Complementary support can make sense when responsibilities remain clear.
Make the next step testable
Choose one unresolved operating question and gather the evidence needed to answer it. Name the person who will maintain the result, define what a useful pilot must show, and agree on a review date. If the alternative cannot explain its work boundary or your remaining responsibilities, clarify those items before committing.
Related implementation resources
Discuss the operating problem
Elixir consulting starts at $5,000 per month, with final pricing based on scope. Bring a recent example, the current workflow, and the person who owns the result to define the appropriate implementation scope.