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Check-inReviewed

Acme Operations Review with Sarah Nguyen

with Sarah Nguyen at Acme Consulting

Tuesday, February 17, 2026
2:00 PM (45 min)

AI SummaryAI

Deep operational review with Sarah Nguyen, VP Operations at Acme Consulting. Sarah was promoted six months ago and is seeing the firm from a new vantage point. She shared that utilization rates have dropped from 72% to 65%, that three major proposals were lost to Big Four firms pricing below market, and that the partner group can't agree on specialization strategy. Sarah was surprisingly candid about the internal dynamics, she sees the identity crisis clearly and wants help addressing it. She also flagged that the culture work from our 2024 engagement is "losing momentum" as the firm hasn't invested in the next phase.


Key Moments

InsightSarah revealed utilization rates dropped from 72% to 65%, a clear sign of the positioning problem affecting top-line revenue.
at 10:00
ConcernThree major proposals lost to Big Four firms in Q2 2025, pricing and brand prestige were the deciding factors.
at 20:00
InsightSarah privately described the generalist identity as "the elephant in every partner meeting", the team knows but won't confront it.
at 30:00

Action Items

Draft a positioning framework for Robert to review when we reconnect

completedDue Mar 3

Your Notes

Sarah is the real operator at Acme. Robert is the visionary but Sarah makes things work. She's the one who will champion any future engagement internally. The identity crisis observation is gold. Robert needs to hear it from someone who isn't his consultant.

Participants

SN
Sarah Nguyen
VP Operations at Acme Consulting
Strong3 conversations
RC
Robert Chen
CEO & Founder at Acme Consulting
Dormant

Meeting Context

Tuesday, February 17, 2026
2:00 PM
45 minutes
zoom

Forces

2
6

Generalist Identity Crisis: Nobody Knows What Acme Stands For

Acme built its reputation as a "we do everything" firm, but in a market that rewards specialization, this positioning has become a liability. Internally, partners disagree on whether to specialize (and in what). Robert knows the answer intellectually but can't get alignment. Sarah Nguyen privately called it "the elephant in every partner meeting."

Unspoken Truthorganization
6

Senior Consultant Turnover Threatening Delivery Quality

Despite winning "Best Places to Work," Acme is still losing senior consultants to higher-paying firms and tech companies. Elena Rodriguez has flagged that the employer brand work from 2024 is losing momentum as the firm hasn't invested in the next phase: leadership development and career path clarity for mid-career hires.

Tensionorganization

Related

Acme Consulting