Part 13 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

“A consultant is someone who borrows your watch to tell you the time, and then keeps the watch”- Advertising executive Carl Ally

Criticism of management consultants is not hard to find. Criticism of the profession ranges from only stating the obvious and rehashing old analysis to only using trendy frameworks and not providing sustainable solutions. All of which, I concede, are pretty much on the money. Today, I address a few of these criticisms.

Consultants state the obvious

Yes we do. Actually, more specifically, we state what’s obvious to us. A lot of consulting is about bringing in a fresh pair of eyes. Clients are often too close to the problem and can’t discern the forest from the trees. It also happens that the client is too emotionally invested in a particular situation thus impairing him from seeing a problem for what it is. Of course, it’s also possible that the client simply doesn’t have the knowledge to see the obvious. On the other hand, sometimes, the client  just needs some support in a view they feel shaky about. For instance, the client may think something is obvious, but needs someone to validate his observation. Or perhaps the client doesn’t have the political power needed to push through a plan of action.

In any case, as consultants, we’re trained to find root issues and recognize tell-tale symptoms, quickly. After seeing so many clients over our careers, we’ve learned where to focus our time and effort in order to meet tight deadlines. We take pride in stating the obvious because sometimes someone has to tell the emperor that he’s naked.

Consultants reuse analysis

All I can say to this is, “duh”. While every client is different, a lot of things stay the same. Consultants keep track of all their lessons learned. This is what makes consultants so valuable - their knowledge acquired from previous engagements. Client’s shouldn’t be overly surprised that their “unique” problem actually isn’t that unique. In fact, if a consultant can use a previous analysis as a baseline for a project be grateful. The job will probably get accomplished quicker and benefit by avoiding mistakes made in the past. Of course, I am not condoning complete re-use of old work. I’m just saying, we’re trying to get the job faster - for you. A good consultant will always perform all the necessary analysis required, they just may be guided by a previous experience.

Consultants use trendy frameworks and management fads

Again, yes we do, but we don’t call our frameworks “trendy” or “fads” we call them “up-to-date”. It’s a consultant’s job to stay up to date with the current state of their industry. What was good practice last year, could be this year’s recipe for disaster. It’s a consultant’s duty to promote what is considered the best advice to a client at any given time.

Consultants don’t deliver sustainable solutions

This is unfortunately true, sometimes. What clients don’t understand is that the quality of the solutions that consultants offer depends greatly on the quality of information they are able to collect and the support they receive from management. You can make any plan fail if you don’t support it as you fan fool any doctor if you hide certain symptoms. So while not every solution will be sustainable, the blame is always shared with the client. Don’t blame the dentist for not fixing your cavity if you don’t open your mouth.

So while consultants are not angels, they are far from being devils. At the heart of every consultant is the deep desire to help clients and help advance their businesses. Sure, a bad apple can spoil the bunch - but don’t rule out apples completely from your diet because of that fact. Just simply go to a different grocery store.

The end

I hope you’ve enjoyed my series on management consulting as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. I plan on beginning a new six-part series on Integrated Marketing Communication shortly, stay tuned.

Part 12 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

Every engagement is a challenge and no two clients are the same. However, at least from my experience, I’ve found that there are some commonalities in dealing with smaller companies. Today, I’ll share with you my experience in working for a small company and what obstacles a consultant can expect to face when approaching such a client.

One of my experiences working with a small company

Early in my career, I worked at a very small company of less than fifteen employees - if you included the company dog. The company had its fingers in a few pots, namely: electronics manufacturing, and product design - for which I was the mechanical engineer. Part costs were killing them as many parts were custom-made and the time for delivery for these parts was erratic at best. As a result, it wasn’t uncommon for us to go into firefighting mode trying to fill orders at the last minute, or work late into the night trying to diagnose a technical problem. Furthermore,at no fault of the owner, oftentimes paychecks had to be delayed a day or two because their clients themselves were late on payments. While it was a very exciting time for a young graduate like I was at the time, it was also very stressful. While the company hit a few home-runs with a couple of products, namely the Nova hand-dryers and white-label coffee machines, the company owner felt that it desperately needed to grow.

One day, the owner simply had enough of it and decided to integrate vertically upwards by developing a laser-cutting service to not only produce its own parts but to bring in some extra revenue. If any of you have ever worked in a laser-cutting company you’ll know what an investment they are. Machines that cut up to 3/4” of steel using a high-powered laser are not cheap and require some specialized skill to operate. The money was secured from the bank and, from what I understood at the time, this was a feat in of itself considering the immense cost of the machine, gas and metal stock. The skill would be developed in-house through training sessions with hired technical consultants.

As you can imagine, taking that next big step, while holding onto older sources of revenue during the transition period was… trying. Tension ran high, business relationships with suppliers were touchy, and staff morale - while supportive, grew tired from covering so many bases and putting out so many fires. Now imagine if you, as an external consultant, had to come in and engage this type of client. I was, in essence, a trusted  internal consultant at this company and even I faced giant obstacles on an everyday basis. So believe me when I tell you that you should expect to face a few obstacles before you even came close to preparing your proposal.

Dealing with a small company: a survival guide

• Research your client
  I can’t emphasize this enough. Small companies have long memories and heal a lot slower from bad experiences than large companies do. They tend to be wary of consultants and don’t trust people that don’t have a rich background in their industry. So research what you can before the entry phase. Unfortunately, often at times, you can’t find much information. If you are in this situation, fall back to finding a lot about your specific contact (read: use google, linkedin, and pipl). If you can’t speak from knowledge, speak from empathy. Find your contact’s soft spots and find a way to understand their pain and speak to it.


• Cut to the chase
  Having worked in a variety of different companies of varying sizes, I can say with confidence that big business moves at a snail’s pace as compared to smaller businesses. At small companies, no one has time for a consultant. Yes even if it’s you. So if you are lucky enough to steal some time from your contact, cut to the chase. Front-load your presentations. In all likelihood, your meetings will get cut short more often than not, so get your point across as quickly as possible. Also, remember that your presentations are deliverables that must speak for themselves when ushered you’re out of the room.


• More to lose
  Above all, you must be sensitive to the fact that small companies have more to lose and are more defensive than larger ones. Your fee will be a larger percentage of a small company’s bottom line than that of a larger company. Also, a smaller company is usually the baby of someone in the building - chances are the CEO or President started it not too long ago. Speak about the company as something precious that has to be defended and nurtured.


• Expect payment hiccups and knowledge robbery
  Know that many small companies can’t afford you. So expect that while many small companies are willing to hear your initial findings, they may not be interested in hiring you. Often small companies will try to have consultants find the big issues at their company and send the consultant on their way as they use the insights given to them for free. So keep your findings relatively vague until you see some green. Also know that you may have a long-term account receivable with small company clients as they may try to withhold payment for all sorts of odd reasons like their dog ate the cheque or something.

Part 11 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

Whatever stage you are in your consulting career, be it as an analyst or a principal, more often than not you will be looking to eventually move upwards. (Or out, completely up to you.) You should know that unlike other industries, promotions in the most respected consulting agencies are based on your ability to further your development and to realize your potential. But regardless of whether you work at an agency or as a freelancer, as the industry you work in grows and evolves, so should your skills and talents.

No one’s perfect

While it’s true that there are plenty of people out there that are more inclined to make fantastic consultants, very few of them are perfect from the get-go. No matter what some may say, natural talent will only get you so far. The fact of the matter is that being a perfect consultant is a pretty unnatural state of being. Effective consultants confront conflicts instead of avoiding them, they walk away from easy money to preserve their integrity as well as those of their clients and they also see the value in making a client uncomfortable if they feel it’s for the better good.

Encourage your growth

Consultants working for top-tier practices have the luxury of having a work environment that will monitor their evolutions and guide them them down the right paths. But even if you haven’t had the chance to enjoy such a privilege, there are still a few things that will help you grab your career by the horns and help yourself grow. Consider doing some of the following:

• Find a mentor or coach
  Sometimes we need an external pair of eyes to give us perspective on our lives. Think about asking your boss or a senior co-worker about helping you find your way. Pairing up with a mentor is a great way to point out the flaws you don’t want to admit to and suggest ways you can improve.


• Pursue activities that will stretch you
  Ruts can be very seductive. With routine comes comfort and often at times, easy money. But if you don’t pursue mandates that are just outside of your comfort zone, you will never build on your skill set or reputation. Remember, conquering new domains is a great way to build your confidence and to give you the drive to take on bigger, and more visible, challenges.


• Don’t set goals without a time-frame
  It’s easy to say that you will aim to lose five pounds, it’s another thing to say to lose five pounds in two weeks. Putting goals in the context of a time-frame will give you an indication if you are drifting off schedule or are heading for trouble. Deadlines also make goals real by forcing you to plan on how to accomplish them.


• See failure as an opportunity
  The old adage is true: if at first you don’t succeed, try try again. Not every project will be a success - but that doesn’t mean you can’t build on them or gain confidence from them. Lessons learned are the cornerstone of every consultant’s career. From failures you can identify areas to work on and things to avoid in the future.


• Do it continuously, but don’t go overboard
  Career growth, at least for management consultants, is less like a diet, and more like a lifestyle choice - it never really ends. While like anything, this can go to extremes. Always listen to your heart. There is pushing your limits and going against your own values and nature. The idea here is to grow and shape and not to warp and mutate.

Part 10 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

However it ends, be it with a resounding success or a brilliant catastrophe, all client-consultant engagements become terminated. During this phase, lessons are learned, acceptance of deliverables is gained and postmortems are performed. When it comes to termination, I’d like to touch on a couple of areas that I personally feel are important: planning your final presentation and your eventual exit.


The presentation

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing a good number of presentations during my career as well as presenting a few here and there. Everyone has a style unique to them and what works for one may not work for another. But in management consulting, there’s an unspoken standard to crafting your presentation. Here are some things to consider:

Mind the clock

Nothing kills a presentation more than poor time management. Chances are it was hard enough to book time with the client. If you can’t get your point across within the alloted time you may put the final acceptance at risk or at the very least you will appear unprepared and rude. Definitely factor in time for questions and answers at the end of your presentation. If needed, set ground rules, e.g., no cell phones or interruptions during the presentation. Also, glance at the time occasionally so you can pace yourself. And please remember to rehearse at least once.

Do your homework

It’s good to know who you will present to. It may be in your best interest to research your client to see his leadership style, He could be the straight-to-the-point type or a natural born orator. Also, patterns in his work history may hint at whether you’re in for some resistance during the presentation. Perhaps your client likes big change and you’re recommending something more incremental. It’s best to brace yourself and be ready to manage expectations.

Your deck is your deliverable

Unlike a pitch, a consulting presentation is more structured. It will be what the client refers to when you’re long gone. Since no one likes to read long reports, your deck has to be succinct and actionable. Here are some ideas to consider:

• Have a flow, tell a story that is easy to follow.


• Find a balance between too much information and insulting your audience.


• Start each slide with the key message of the slide - i.e. front-end them. You’ll lose people’s attention along the way. Best to give them what they need to know up front.


• Follow each headline with supporting evidence.


• End each slide with an actionable item or implication - recapture that interest with something they can act on.


• Review the deck with new eyes and see if it speaks for itself.


• Unlike a pitch, you may want to err on the side of putting a tad more words than usual.

• Treat each termination as a new entry phase.


• Keep in touch with the client.


• Pique his interest with other projects that could be worked on in the future.


• Follow up with them during implementation to see if all is well.


• Get their input on your performance to identify areas that you need to work on.

Part 9 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

The rumours, for the most part, are true. If you’re an external consultant, there is a good chance, you essentially live in a plane and hardly see your desk. You probably work long hours and have to fight your way to the top for a good chunk of your career. For some, this sounds damn sexy and I must admit, there is definitely a prestige about working as an external consultant, especially for a top-tier firm. But if you struggle to have a work-life balance as I do, be it because of your stage of life or plain old fatigue of the jet-set life, know you have an option. A way to hold on consulting as a career without the exhaustion aftertaste. It’s called, internal consulting.

Internal consulting? Oh the shame…

OK. For many, internal consultant jobs aren’t exactly dream jobs. While some may feel this is a bit of a generalization, I don’t think I’m far off the mark. Just doing a job search on Monster.ca for “Internal Consultant” pulls up very little. While the work of internal consultants definitely exists out there in the market, this work either isn’t recognized as consulting, or the term “internal consulting” is downplayed to attract more applicants. But why is that? Is there a stigma about being an internal consultant? Is there a perception that an internal consultant couldn’t cut it as an external consultant? It may surprise you but a good percentage of internal consultants started their career as external consultants, often from very reputable firms.

Remember, a job title doesn’t always describe the work

There are many jobs out there which are just plain hard to summarize in a few words. For example, I’m currently an Analytics Consultant at Bell Canada. (Off topic: I wish the good people at Mozilla would add the word “analytics” to their spell-check dictionary.) However, we do more than just web analytics for clients, both internal and external,  these days. We are plunging into Social Media strategy, Web Optimization and competitive analytics. But I really doubt Bell will start revamping our job titles to reflect all that. So remember, the work you do is more important than your title, but I realize from past experience that it’s hard to overlook sometimes.

The perks of going internal

Job title envy aside, there are many benefits to being an internal consultant. First off, your work hours are definitely more palatable. In extreme cases, you could be working half the hours of an external consultant. Secondly, for those looking for stability, internal consultants generally travel less - always a plus for those with families. Ok, so the pay isn’t as great, but I’m willing to wager if you broke it down to a true hourly rate, it would be somewhat comparable to external consultant pay.

Looking closer at the actual work of an internal consultant one can see other benefits as well. While most of the work of an internal consultant is the same as that of an external one, an internal consultant has a greater chance of ensuring that implementation actually occurs. Unlike those McKinsey kids who leave after the recommendation, internal consultants can play a key role in ensuring that their solutions are adopted, especially if they are longer-term projects.

Internal consultants often enjoy more trust from their clients. Since both the consultant and client work for the same company, there is a common denominator that both rely on. In the end, they both have the company’s best interests in mind. Furthermore, when it comes to sensitive data, a company will be more inclined to go with internal consultants to avoid any risk of leakage. Also, unlike external consultants, the knowledge gained during the consulting engagement stays within the company. In addition, because an internal consultant gets to touch upon all aspects of the company and interact with all levels in the organization, internal consultants make prime candidates for promotion. Not so bad huh?

Back to reality

OK, OK. There are some drawbacks - there always are. As I mentioned before, the pay isn’t as high. You’ll also only see mandates in the same vertical so there is less variety in the job (though for some, this is a positive). Also, you don’t get to learn as much from other industries as you would as an external consultant. But with all that said, it isn’t so bad. I’ve been what I consider an internal consultant at Concordia University for close to five years. There is definitely a satisfaction of seeing your recommendations become a reality and building stronger ties throughout the community. Pats on the back and nods of recognition are nice too, y’know.

You could do both

As I’ve said before, I’ve chosen to be both an internal and external consultant. For me, this offers me the best of both worlds: gaining experience in a variety of different industries as well as helping my own company succeed. I find most professional service units of larger business allows for this dynamic.

Ultimately, it’s up to you. Just know you never have to stay as an internal or external consultant. Find the position that fits you and your career goals. Concentrate on the work and the personal rewards rather than the title, and you’ll be just fine.

Part 8 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

This is it. You’ve made it to the implementation phase of your client engagement. All the analysis is done and the countless hours of debating over which steps to take are well behind you. It’s all smooth sailing from this point on right? Sorry pal. In fact, quite possibly, some of the hardest times are still to come. (Did I mention I was sorry?) Oh and did I mention that most of your budget will be spent during the upcoming implementation phase while executing your deliverables? To make matters worse, even if you’ve been clever enough to bring your client over to your side along the way, during this critical phase, he may yet turn against you - and worst yet - may not even realize he’s in fact resisting you.

Change is scary

A change in the business-world affects a great many people. Thus as a result, it’s natural for there to be resistance to any change. When it comes to work, many people often enjoy routine and habit. When there is a change, especially one initiated by an external party (here’s looking at you kid), there will be friction. Surprisingly, even your client may resist you as well. Why is that? Put yourself in your client’s shoes for a second and understand the situation from his perspective. He’s hired you to fix a problem he and his staff couldn’t (regardless of the reason). Having you solve the problem for him may:

• make him vulnerable. E.g., your solution may disturb the existing political equilibrium that exists at the company and may result in your client losing some authority.


• result in your client losing control which could make him anxious.

• Silence
  The client doesn’t say anything and you feel like you’re talking to a wall. He simply says that he’ll speak up if he hears something he doesn’t agree with. What’s happening here is the client is withholding his thoughts. Think about it, he hired you and he has no opinion at all? Very doubtful.


• Asking for a lot of detail
  Your client keeps digging for more and more detail. Incessantly asking, “What about this? and this? Have you thought about this?”, etc. If your client keeps digging more than 15 minutes start wondering whether he’s resisting you. While the client is entitled to understand the situation, too many questions may indicate he doesn’t trust you understand the problem at hand.


• Too busy
  The client loves your work but is too busy to meet you or help you. If you keep getting stalled or stood up, suspect you’re facing resistance.


• Aggression
  Another classic. Your client, all of a sudden, has ants in his pants and is agitated. You can’t understand why, but he’s on the offensive and you’re his target. Again, resistance at play here.

• Call the client out
  In a frank and calm manner, call your client out on their resistance. Identify the form of resistance you’ve identified. E.g., “You don’t seem to be saying anything and I’m not sure what to make of it” or “You seem angry about something” or “You don’t seem to be making time for me or this project”. Whatever phrase you use, make sure it’s an open-ended statement. Always remember, the client is resisting the solution, and not you (usually).


• Be quiet
  Don’t say a peep. Create the most uncomfortable silence possible (bonus points if the client sweats). Make it so the client has to say something to address your statement. Hopefully, your client will say something which you could use as a starting point for overcoming your client’s resistance. Tip: don’t take any of this personally - it will be hard, but try.

Part 7 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

Reviewing the history of  the management consulting industry is a lot like playing with mercury (for those of you who remember when mercury could be found in thermometers). As you push and swirl mercury, it often splits into smaller globules over and over again - only to reform into larger globules later on just to split again later.  Management consulting companies behave similarly. It is not uncommon for an office to break free from its parent company,  a former VP to start his own practice or for a small firm to get assimilated into a larger one. This should not come as a surprise as the management consulting industry is one based on client services and as such must cater to market tastes and demands.

While we don’t have the luxury of having the buying power or force of, say, a consulting firm like Bain, even a single-person operation can consider growth as an option to better meet customer needs. Ways one can grow one’s  business  will be the focus of the remainder of this post.

How can you grow?

Sometimes as a freelancer or a consultant  you wonder if you are doing “enough”. Should you just maintain the status quo,  should you get more clients,  should you expand into another industry? Before you go off darting into the woods, it’s best to understand some of the basic modes of growth. While there are many directions a company can grow, they generally boil down to either vertical or horizontal.

Vertical growth

Simply put, vertical growth represents providing more services that are in-line with a particular application area. Furthermore,  you can expand upstream or downstream. For example, say you are a web designer (Small world, so am I!) and you have a solid client list and regular work but feel you could expand a bit. As mentioned you could expand vertically by increasing your ownership of services upstream and/or downstream of your web design offering. For instance, upstream expansion could mean that you hire an information architect or strategist while downstream expansion could mean you start offering hosting solutions.  Of course, depending on the cost analysis, vertical expansion may or may not be suited for you if your sales volume is too low. For most solo freelancers, this type of growth may not be in the cards.

Horizontal growth

What I see more often is horizontal growth in the web freelancing domain. In a nutshell, horizontal growth is where one would offer either related or unrelated services in other areas of expertise. Sticking with our web designer model, a related horizontal growth, or diversification, would be something as simple as offering web analytics services, while an unrelated move would be something like baking cakes. Delicious, but perhaps not the best move in this case - but who knows, it might work for you.

You don’t have to do this alone

Now mind you, you don’t have to do all this alone. You could grow in any direction either organically, through an acquisition or through an alliance.  For example, you can grow organically by hiring more bodies, or grow through acquisition by buying another freelancer out (I know - a bit of a stretch), or through an alliance - essentially two companies working together, but separately.

In my experiences as a freelancer and as an owner of a small company, personally I’d lean towards alliances to begin with. While there are a few headaches such as how to split profits, and contract agreements, I feel alliances get you running quicker since you don’t have to train anyone. Even better, you gain their client network, and they gain yours as well. The ideal situation is an alliance with a complimentary company. For example, as a web designer, forming an alliance with a hosting company. This is a great solution for both parties and usually your client will appreciate the one-stop-shop aspect.

Take it slow

While I covered a few basics of growth, never underestimate the power of biting off what you can chew. I learned at a conference once that you should operate out of your basement as long as you can until you absolutely must rent out office space because of all the obligations tied to doing so. Similarly in freelancing web services - don’t spread yourself too thin trying to do too much. Take your time, build your rep. The opportunities will present themselves, so be patient, and step forward with confidence.

Part 6 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

So you’ve survived the entry phase, have a contract and have diagnosed your client’s underlying problem. You have successfully defined a SMART objective and are ready to roll. What’s next? Now you have to map out a course of action. But which path do you go down? How do you come up a good plan or select between so many viable alternatives? While in many cases the answers may appear clear, it’s very possible that by going with your gut you are not selecting the best option.

So, how do you come up with the “best” plan or option?

Let me first say that the “best” plan is a matter of opinion. What’s good for the goose may not be good for the gander. What you think is the best solution may simply not jive with your client. You have to understand this point very well. Even if you think your solution is the bees’ knees, if the client isn’t committed to it, your plan will not be  implemented - and no one wins in that situation.

Decision criteria first or last?

From what I hear, most of the top consulting firms start with the agreed upon decision criteria in generating solutions. For example, if the solution must cost $X, or should be finished by X date - all solutions start and are limited by these criteria. Apparently, this method focuses your thinking and is efficient. Who am I to disagree with the big boys of consulting? Well… actually I do disagree - at least to a certain extent.  I feel this method is very narrow minded and doesn’t allow for creative solutions. Not to mention it isn’t as exhaustive as I’d prefer. For example, by only focusing on cost, you may prematurely nix a set of very viable options that simply need some tweaking.

Personally, I think there is something to be said about using a hybrid approach. I do realize that by taking a more free approach, you run the risk of not only taking more time to generate solutions but of also going down a few dead ends. But allowing yourself in the initial stages to have a little bit of altitude in creating solutions is OK in my opinion - just as long as you don’t go too crazy and reel it in once you start getting close to killer criteria (those criteria which are non-negotiable - such as product X must not blind a user, y’know - stuff like that) or constraints. By not being initially constrained, you avoid consulting in a rut - where you always offer the same solution. But as always, use your judgement.

Don’t jump the gun.

It’s a very human tendency to look at data and jump straight to developing solutions. This is where the discipline of being a consultant should step in. Remember that from data come findings. From findings come conclusions. And from conclusions, solutions. If you cannot say what conclusion your are addressing with a solution - you need to take a step back and start over. If you cannot tell the client what finding made you decide on a solution, the client will think you’re using a magic ball or something. This will increase the likelihood of you become a scapegoat in the future. Do yourself a favour, be thorough.

Broken record player moment: Include your client in the process

Obviously, the client should be involved in deciding the decision criteria (how else will you form a decision matrix?) but another benefit for including your client during the planning/selection process is to foster the transfer of skills. By simply being part of this process the client will learn from you and benefit from being around your expertise. This can go a long way towards mobilizing the client towards implementation afterwards since they will have a solid basis of understanding of the solution. There are few more uneasy experiences than implementing something you don’t 100% understand. Also, you can avoid a lot of ramp-in time here. And of course, as a result of having them be part of your process, they are taking part-ownership of the solution - this reduces the chance of them making you the lone scapegoat later on should the project ultimately fail for whatever reason.

Not being a scapegoat?

That’s a good thing.

Part 5 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

Let me preface this by saying, “No, I am not a McKinsey consultant”. Quite frankly, I doubt I’m McKinsey material. This is not to say I am not driven or that I don’t care for consultancy work. Quite the opposite. I thoroughly enjoy learning about different industries and tackling new challenges. Especially mouth-watering for me is the idea of helping a client sleep better at night because he will have one less problem to worry about because of something I and my company did.  With that said, what I’m writing about today is some of the tid-bits of advice I picked up while listening to a presentation by a McKinsey consultant recently. They may seem random, and I assure you, they are, but I feel they are topics to think about if you’re considering management consulting as a career.

Don’t do it for money.

Ok, quite frankly, advice like this coming from an engagement manager at McKinsey feels a bit awkward. It’s easy for someone who’s full to advise others to diet, right? However, I think we all know deep down he is completely right - not only in terms of consulting work but life in generally. If your job doesn’t excite or motivate you it makes waking up in the morning difficult. Furthermore, consulting in most cases, is not a 9 to 5 job unless it is 9am to 5am. Consulting, no matter how structured you try to make it, is unstructured and your life has to be able to adjust if you want to excel. (Read as “Manage your family’s expectations”.)

Make sure you cover what you won’t do.

While it is certainly difficult to define a project’s scope when it involves a lot of challenges, it is even more difficult (and touchy) to define what you won’t do for your client. But without doing this, you are leaving yourself open to scope creep and headaches. This definitely is a touchy subject, but if you bring your client along with you on this journey so you can both agree to it. Plan now and it will save you money later. I promise.

Tell a simple story.

You’re bright. You know how to solve the client’s problem. But your solution has a hundred prongs and is complicated. If you find yourself in this situation, do yourself a favour, and try to propose your solution in the form of a story. Create a situation, a use-case, a narrative. Stories are a great way to engage with your client and to reiterate you “get them’ and you understand their problem. A story also makes the situation and solutions real as well as something that the client can imagine in their head.

It is your duty to decent.

Often, consultants are staffed onto projects with people they haven’t worked with before. During these early “form” stages, it might not feel right to start disagreeing. But I assure you, disagreeing is your most efficient tool in creating effective solutions. The devil’s advocate is your ally because he often echoes what the client is thinking. So the next time you are staffed on a team, set the ground rule, it’s OK to disagree and it is encouraged to poke holes in an argument.  Better a team mate finding the issues than the client.

Hopefully I’ve saved you some headaches from these “borrowed” tips.

What other pieces of advice do you have about the profession of management consulting?

Part 4 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

One of the pillars of being a consultant is to act responsibly and think through decisions. In plain English, cover your butt. The last thing you want is to present in front of a board of directors and become vulture food as they pick at your solution and punch holes through your logic. A consultant must base every one of his recommendations on facts and sound reasoning. It is his obligation to his client to make the best decision possible based on the information presented to him and within the constraints of the situation. Despite this being a pretty simple concept to grasp, in practice, it is a bit more challenging to implement. To help you along, remember the following phrase:

From data comes findings. From findings come conclusions. From conclusions come solutions.


Every consultant (worth their salt) starts their diagnosis by collecting data. (By the way, any consultant, or guru for that matter, that skips straight to solutions and tactics pretty much is a fake and you should distance yourself from him pronto). Would you trust a doctor who puts a cast on your leg without doing an x-ray? Of course not. Why not? Because he obviously didn’t collect enough data. (Remember, your client isn’t stupid - they know if you’ve been collecting data or not).

But more importantly, you can’t just start collecting data willy-nilly. You have to think it through. Be selective. Though many believe that more data is better, all this leads to is paralysis by analysis. Would you trust a doctor that made you undergo a battery of blood tests, biopsies, x-rays, spinal fluid tests, and vertigo tests when all you came in for was a toothache? Of course not. It just seem like he was hoping to stumble on the answer.

So worker smarter, not harder.

My operations management professor once said that he had the highest per-hour rate in Canada. He backed this up by saying that while the university controlled the numerator, he controlled the denominator… by working virtually zero hours, he had to be working close to billable rate of infinity. The point to this story is that when taking on any contract or mandate, it is in your best interests to defend your margin. You want to be as efficient as possible and preserve your profit. To do this, it’s best to be systematic about your data-collection. A popular tool towards this goal is the hypothesis tree. By using a hypothesis tree you can attack your problem and data-collection systematically and make sure you cover your bases.

The hypothesis tree.

• Start with your problem statement or goal (make sure it’s SMART - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound) as the “seed”.


• Branch out into reasons for the problem. Remember to be MECE (Mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive). Take the time to work this out. Get expert opinion of SMEs if you must.


• Keep breaking each branch down into more and more reasons, until you come down to something you can test.


• Prioritize the items you can test (think big bang for the buck). Remember not every test is worth doing if the return doesn’t justify it.


• Test. Delegate to speed things up.


• Validate or reject reasons. I.e., chop off some branches.


• Repeat until you find the remaining branches until your found the root reasons.

Part 3 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

Plan. Plan. Plan.

If I’ve learned anything from my years of working and MBA and project management studies, it’s to plan. The time you put into planning pays off in time, money, and stress saved later on. The best laid schemes of mice and men sort of thing.

The bullet-proof objective

In project management and management consulting, to increase your chances of success it is key to define a project’s objective properly. Believe me when I say when engaging the client and creating your proposal, you want to be bullet-proof. Nothing covers your rear-end better than defining a solid objective. A solid objective is one that:

• is clearly defined,


• can be measured with KPIs or metrics,


• your client agrees to (and hopefully believes in),


• is achievable, and


• has a deadline.

• What does improve performance mean exactly? More conversions? More traffic? More leads? More up-time? Without knowing what the client means by performance, you may waste resources and time.


• What time frame? A day? A month? A year? Will your idea of a reasonable time-frame match that of the client? Without knowing the time frame you will surely miss a deadline.


• What does the client consider his website any ways? Is he accountable for a small section? a micro-site? an enterprise site? Without knowing the project scope you may over-promise and under-deliver.


• Does the client even have the authority to get changes made? Who will your report to? Can your recommendations be carried out? Without knowing the client’s authority, you may propose a solution that will never be implemented.


• How does the client know the old site wasn’t doing well? Did he run a benchmark? Is he losing market share? Maybe the old website was just fine, and what he really needs is an e-commerce platform to compliment it.

• Why does he feel his website is critical to his marketing mix?


• Why does the client feel the old site wasn’t doing a good job?


• Why does he feel the number of visits to his older website is enough?


• Why does he feel that that KPI is the right one?


• Why not measure something more in-line with the client’s core business?

Part 2 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

First impressions and building trust

When meeting a client for the first time, just like in dating, first impressions count. But making a good impression is more than about relying on how exactly to shake hands or how to wear a tie (and no, bringing flowers won’t help). Despite what consulting gurus say, there is no textbook approach to this. There are no set plans of action, nor a perfect recipe for success. Like snowflakes, no two clients are the same, so keep your antennae up and radars on at all times.

A seasoned consultant can change approaches in an instant and think on his feet. He is always observing the client’s behaviour and adjusting accordingly. Think of it like driving on a Montreal road. Even if you are driving towards the same destination every day, your exact path is always slightly different. You have to avoid the many pot holes and take all the right detours - otherwise you’ll find yourself on the curb without a ride.

Not only is this first encounter, or “entry”, the first stage (of 5) of the consulting process, it can set the tone for the rest of the engagement. You have to use almost all of your consulting skills in this stage. Specifically:

• Relationship building (be likeable damn it!)


• Analytical skills (notice…everything! be sceptical!)


• Expectations management (don’t promise the moon and deliver New Jersey)


• Communicate effectively (throw out that gum, think before you blurt)


• Manage resistance (use that vinegar, honey)

1. how credible you come off,


2. how close/at ease the client feels with you, and


3. the level of risk this engagement represents.

• The client likes you, so he’ll be receptive. (NOTE: he’s already LinkedIn’ed, Facebook’ed, and Googled you).


• You have a good feeling of what the problem is, or at least enough flags have been raised that you know you need to dig more.


• You haven’t promised anything that you cannot deliver.


• Your client is crystal clear on your thoughts and intentions which is good because clients don’t like surprises.


• Your client is on your side so he supports you and co-owns the problem you both defined.

• Volunteer and learn how people ask for things and how to solve a myriad of problems. As consultants you have to be a jack of all spades.


• Help people and know the life of a consultant. At the heart of the profession, a consultant is a helper.


• Socialize  a lot and chit chat. Knowing how to chit chat is an art. Knowing how to play off people’s behaviours is vital.


• Don’t be dumb. Ok well, you have to know something about something to be a consultant. C’mon.

Part 1 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

What is management consulting?

Management consulting is one of those professions with a bit of a stigma around it. Some people think that management consultants are snake-oil pushers, while others think it is what people who can’t perform in the industry do.  I guess some of these views are justified. As there are many consultants in the field who do their jobs very well, there are those who are unethical. I see this as a profession akin to those in law - a few bad apples spoil the broth - or something like that.

Regardless of your opinion of what consultants are, at the heart of the matter, management consulting has a few core aspects:

• it is a process, as the name implies, that involves helping management


• it involves analysis, diagnosis and, like a doctor, prescription of a course of action to be implemented


• it is a professional service (and as such - has a code of ethics).