Consultants and Permanent Staff: Partners in Positive Change

At Innomovate Consulting, we believe that true transformation happens when consultants and permanent staff work with each other, not in competition. In organisations facing financial pressures, low morale, or operational drift, external consultants are often brought in to spark change. However, without trust and cooperation from internal teams, even the best strategies can fall flat.

Unfortunately, there’s a common misconception that consultants are there to replace staff, criticise existing work, or deliver top-down decisions. But when approached the right way, consultants can act as enablers—bringing fresh perspective, specialised expertise, and objective insight—while permanent staff provide the cultural understanding, historical context, and day-to-day know-how that are essential for sustainable change.

The most successful turnarounds occur when both groups understand their roles and work towards a shared goal. Let’s look at two powerful examples.

Case Study 1: LEGO – Building Trust Through Collaboration

In the early 2000s, LEGO was on the brink of collapse. The company was haemorrhaging money, expanding too quickly, and losing sight of its core customer. In 2004, they brought in Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, a McKinsey consultant, to lead a massive turnaround.

Instead of pushing through a consultant-led transformation, Knudstorp—who later became CEO—prioritised engagement with frontline staff. He spent time listening to employees, understanding where internal knowledge was being ignored, and empowered teams to speak honestly about what was broken.

Consultants helped with strategy and operational realignment, but it was LEGO's in-house designers, marketers and factory workers who played a central role in refining the vision. The result? By 2006, LEGO was back in profit—and today, it stands as one of the most valuable toy companies in the world. The turnaround wasn’t just consultant-driven; it was co-created.

Case Study 2: NHS – Lean Principles with Staff Buy-In

In the mid-2000s, several NHS Trusts were struggling with rising costs and patient backlogs. Rather than imposing cuts, some Trusts partnered with external consultants experienced in Lean methodologies, including the Virginia Mason Institute and private sector firms like Newton Europe.

One standout example is the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Rather than replacing processes wholesale, consultants worked shoulder-to-shoulder with clinical and non-clinical staff to redesign patient pathways. Staff were invited to workshops, empowered to question inefficiencies, and played a key role in shaping the new models.

Collaboration is as simple as child's play!

The outcome was dramatic: faster patient discharge times, improved theatre scheduling, and better use of resources—all achieved by integrating external expertise with staff insight. Importantly, the trust avoided the culture of fear that sometimes comes with transformation. Staff became champions of the change, not casualties of it.

A Culture of Co-Creation

At Innomovate Consulting, we champion this kind of collaborative transformation. We don’t parachute in with pre-written blueprints—we work alongside your people, leveraging their knowledge while adding new tools and fresh thinking. Our approach is rooted in respect, transparency and shared success.

Consultants and permanent staff are not opposites. Together, they can be the strongest force in reviving failing organisations—if they’re allowed to build trust, share ownership, and co-deliver the future.

Innomovate Management Consultants Ltd — All rights reserved.