The Value of Feedback

As the SIRI Practicum course entered March, our team delivered the Interim Presentation in front of the class. In our project, we are providing consulting services to a company that offers guidance on system-level investments. Given that organizations engaged in system-level investments vary in type—ranging from traditional institutional investors like Blackstone to pension funds and philanthropic organizations—the structure required to facilitate such investments differs for each entity. Therefore, our goal was to categorize these organizations and propose tailored organizational frameworks (such as the composition of investment committees) to our client company.

However, one of our key concerns was that system-level investment is a highly specialized and somewhat complex field. As a result, at the stage of our interim report, our team had not yet reached the point of formulating concrete hypotheses, such as "this particular organizational structure is ideal for this type of entity." Instead, we remained at the stage of proposing general frameworks for implementing system-level investments, based on preliminary research and client interviews. In other words, we had not yet developed specific recommendations that could be presented as actionable proposals.

From my perspective, while the interim presentation itself proceeded relatively smoothly, the Q&A session that followed made me realize that we had not yet fully conveyed our plan to our classmates. On the other hand, I found some of Professor Minard’s feedback to be particularly insightful, and I would like to share two key points that stood out to me.

First, while our presentation emphasized that different organizations require different approaches to system-level investment (and that we would proceed with categorization accordingly), the professor advised that it might be more beneficial for our client if we focused on a specific type of organization—such as pension funds—and developed detailed, concrete proposals tailored to them.

Second, and personally, what I found to be an extremely valuable insight was the professor’s remark that "the client company itself may still be figuring out its own business model." In light of this, the professor suggested that, in addition to proposing organizational frameworks for system-level investment for different entities, we should also provide insights on how the client company can develop its own business model.

Hearing this second piece of advice was an eye-opening moment for me. Since the SIRI Practicum is structured as a consulting engagement with a client company, I had assumed that the best way to meet the client’s expectations was to strictly adhere to the agreed-upon scope and goals that was determined by client. However, upon reflection, I recalled the words of Allison Boxer, the Managing Director of the Sorenson Impact Institute and Adjunct Professor at the David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah, who was our first guest speaker. Similarly, in my previous blog, I quoted a Bain & Company partner who mentioned the concept of "True North." Both emphasized not merely the importance of providing direct feedback to clients but rather the fundamental principle of proposing what is truly valuable to them.

I had long felt that our project scope was limited to research on system-level investments, and I questioned whether conducting research alone added significant value as a consultant. However, if the true role of a consultant is not only to answer the questions posed by the client but also to identify and articulate the questions that truly need to be addressed—and to work towards solving them—then I realized that I had been unintentionally confining the scope of our work within predefined boundaries. The professor’s second piece of advice reminded me of what it means to create real value for a client as a consultant.

With just over a month remaining in the Spring 2025 semester before final exams, I am determined to reassess how we engage with our client’s challenges. Beyond merely acting as discussion partners in shaping their system-level investment framework, I hope to contribute by helping them examine their business model and establish a management structure that ensures sustainable growth. With this renewed mindset, I am eager to tackle the second half of the SIRI Practicum with a fresh perspective.