Lots of words, little impact. The outcome of consulting engagements is often shelfware and fails to make a real difference. It’s like generating electricity from a potato: it sounds good, but it doesn’t accomplish much. Let’s supercharge it.
One Potato, Two Potato
Did you know you can stick a galvanized nail and a copper penny in a potato and produce electricity? Neither did I, but my 12-year old does. Apparently, it’s a popular school science project. Equipped with spuds and a multimeter, we set off to experiment. It actually works!
One potato doesn’t quite yield one volt, but what if we wire them together? After all, more is better. Eureka! Almost 3 volts, enough to power a small LED light. So the question begs: why doesn’t our power grid run on potatoes? In our enthusiasm, we imagined potato-powered cars and vegetable garden-powered homes. Move over, Tesla.
But here’s the rub. Voltage doesn’t mean power. It’s just a measurement of flow, not of the amount of energy. For grins, we ripped the electric circuit from one of those annoying talking birthday cards. It runs on a tiny little battery. What could it possibly take to power that? As it turns out, a lot more than you think. We measured we’d need 100x more current than the potatoes can muster. Even when assisted by lemons (which make great “batteries” due to high acidity), we got nothing.
After the initial disappointment that we would not relocate to Idaho to become energy barons, we baked said potatoes and made lemonade. Then I realized this experiment reminded me of poorly executed consulting work: high voltage, lots of words and data. But when it comes down to it, no impact. It doesn’t power the change that the client seeks.
The Dark Secret
Disclosure: I work in the technology advisory business. My clients ask strategic IT questions such as “how can we modernize while not disrupting our systems that pay the bills?”
The worst three words in this space are prior consulting study. Some previous analysis was done by a consultancy, with all the right intentions, but now it’s gathering dust. The word study already implies that whatever was delivered was not actionable. Either the client can’t convert it into initiatives that move the needle, or it is so overwhelming and full of jargon that they don’t know where to start.
Hint: whenever you see words like leverage, synergy or synthesize, the battle is already lost. Smells like the ole’ bullshit generator (thanks, David Sanders!) All hat and no cattle, to stay with the bovine theme. The dark secret is that too many consulting reports just sit on shelves, and it’s a shame.
Authenticity in Consulting
In my mind, consulting engagements should result in business outcomes, expressed in practical terms that the client understands.
A solid problem definition is key. Too often, the problem statement just talks about symptoms. Nothing to be gained there. A great way is to ask probing questions and use silence as a way to build tension to get to the root. Or until the client is exasperated. Whichever comes first. I jest.
Client: We want to replace our B2B portal, it’s not user-friendly. Our partners complain.
You: Have you considered direct data exchanges?
Client: Yes, but our security policy doesn’t allow it.
You: Can you do it if you include the partner ecosystem in your security impementation?
Client: Yes, but then we’d have to change all our back-end systems, all partners are different.
You: What if you had a way to broker between them and you?
Client: Hmmm…
You: <silence>
Client: Wait, in that case, we could enter a whole different market!
If we don’t enroll the client in possibility, we may never uncover the opportunity. To do that, we have to push ourselves and the client too.
Making Impact
After the analysis is done, the consulting work should focus on actionable recommendations and an implementation plan that makes sense in the client context.
I like setting a short, medium and long-term planning horizon (say 30/90/180 days or 3/9/18 months). Looking for quick-wins while building a foundation for the longer term. Deliver early, deliver often.
Instead of a consulting study that sits on a shelf, an impactful consulting effort leaves the client with a living and breathing roadmap of sequenced initiatives that are feasible and likely to succeed. Ideally, these are described at a level that forms the basis for executable projects. Just add resources and funding.
It’s like growing potatoes. Or so I hear.
Ernst Rampen ©2018
