In the 1970s Hermes was under existential threat.
They brought in consultants in the late 70s and received the following advice: Do what the competition is doing (Gucci). Close the atelier, outsource production, increase your number of products and SKUs, lower your price points and make your products more accessible.
This was the accepted wisdom in the fashion industry at the time.
The Acquired Podcast summarized it as follows: “The recommendation was to come in and destroy everything that makes you special and follow the playbook that everyone else is running.”
Today, Hermes has a corporate policy of no consultants.
If you want to solve problems with any team (internal or external), aligning on the time horizon* you’re solving for should be a top priority.
*Preferably long-term (assuming you have the luxury)