Adventures in Consulting

Consulting Books

While there is an overabundance of business books, there are very few on professional services, especially relating to IT consulting.  Here are a few of the better books I’ve read on the subject:

·         Anything by David Maister. A must have for anyone in professional services.  Books include True Professionalism, Trusted Advisor, and First Among Equals. 

·         The Profession Service Firm 50 by Tom Peters.  The book (and the whole series) usually provokes a love or hate reaction.  I’m a proponent because it really conveys, in no uncertain terms, the mindset needed for consulting.  It’s especially relevant for IT consultant even- though it’s not written for technology firms. 

·         Building Professional Services.  This book is written from the perspective of building a consulting practice within a technology product company.   Even if you’re not associated with a product company, it’s a great resource for processes, metrics, roles & responsibilities needed when delivering services. 

·         Clients for Life – Along the style of David Maister, this book talks about becoming a trusted advisor

·         The Essential Drucker – It would be impossible to have a consulting reading list without mentioning Peter Drucker – the visionary who coined the concept “knowledge worker”.

·         The McKinsey Mind / The McKinsey way.  I guess I would be remiss if I didn’t mention these books about one of the most successful consulting companies. 

Here are some resources focusing more on consulting skills than managing a consulting business:

·         The Minto Pyramid Principle – I found it to be a tough, but required, read.  Structured thinking and communications is a foundation concept in management consulting

·         Beyond Bullet Points and Presenting to Win – Presentation Skill are another crucial skill for consultants. 

·         Winning Government Business – Don’t let the title scare you off if you’re not involved in government proposals.  Proposals are such key aspect of consulting and the advice in this book can be applied to any large proposal process. 

Architecture Anti-patterns: JIT Hiring

I was at a Microsoft Conference and saw an entertaining presentation on architecture anti-patterns.   My favorite was JIT Hiring.  This anti-pattern is when a company or consulting firm gets funding for a project and then goes out and hires the personnel just in time to deliver the solution.  We all know that people aren’t spare parts in a supply chain that can be hired just in time to deliver a solution.   The result is predictable – a dysfunctional, under-performing team. 

In our company we also call it the “Food Court” anti-pattern – one could go out to the food court in a mall and randomly assemble a team with the same cohesion and performance. 

It is possible to rapidly assemble a team experienced professionals.  I’ve seen it work in rare instances where the team members had a shared understanding.  Either they had worked together in the past or came from environments with the same culture.   In other cases, the team leaders worked very hard forging the team and building esprit de corps.   

Project managers should pointy ask about key personnel on the team.  How long have they been with the organization, how long have they worked together, etc.  And, of course, watch for the bait and switch anti-pattern. 

Why not what

Saw a great EO presentation by Simon Sinek.  His theory is that:

“people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it.  People buy the purpose, cause or belief, your company stands for.  What you do simply serves as proof of why you do what you do.  Apple doesn't sell computers, they sell the belief in challenging the status quo - their products just prove it”

According to his research (based on collaborations with neurosurgeons), humans are wired to makes decisions using the emotional part of the brain – not the rational thought section.  This is why some decisions just “feel” right.  Or why we make “gut” decisions. 

Following this theory, companies should communicate to customers (and employees) why they are in business and what they believe, how they provide services (reinforces the beliefs), and then finally talk about what they actually do.  Buy connecting with shared beliefs you’ll inspire your stakeholders and build loyalty.

It’s a very simple idea and one that has been said before.  However, Simmon communicates the concept with exceptional clarity and provides a nice framework to help apply the theory. 

Its good to be back

It’s good to be back blogging.  After a long hiatus, I’m on-line writing about my new company Exalt Consulting Group as well as the different challenges facing the IT consulting industry.