A Field Guide For
The era of "it depends" is over. In an age of economic volatility and rapid
technological shifts, businesses no longer have the luxury of paying for professional passengers. The principles
applied by consultants in the last decades no longer stands. Generations of consultants have been trained on how
to be a "good" consultant. Forget about that. Their days are over. It's time to actually be a great
consultant.
This field guide was written by Glenn
Vanderlinden and is based on 10+ years of experience and a lot of annoyance.
Principle
01 / 06
A consultant who provides options without a recommendation is just a researcher. A Great Consultant has conviction founded on experience. If you aren't willing to take a stance, you aren't providing value.
The old way
"There are several ways to look at this. It depends on your appetite for risk."
How it should be done
"Based on the data and my experience, we should do X. Here is why Y and Z will fail."
Principle
02 / 06
Good consultants know how to execute on their recommendations. They don't just build the slides. They actually get the work done in the trenches.
The old way
150-page strategy decks delivered at a steak dinner.
How it should be done
A 5-page execution plan, written from experience, that engineering and ops teams actually understand. Then rolling up your sleeves and joining them in the trenches.
Principle
03 / 06
We are not hired to please. We are hired to be effective. The consultant of the past prioritized staying onboard by playing politics and avoiding conflict. The Great Consultant prioritizes the truth, even if it makes the sponsor sweat.
The old way
Blending into the corporate culture to ensure contract renewal.
How it should be done
Being the external conscience that identifies the elephants in the room.
Principle
04 / 06
Our goal is to become obsolete. The professional passenger stretches engagements, manufactures dependency, and calls it a relationship. A Great Consultant measures success differently. Not by how long they stayed. By how thoroughly the problem was solved.
The old way
Maximizing billable hours by creating dependency.
How it should be done
Maximizing value delivered by empowering the internal team to take over.
Principle
05 / 06
Perfect conditions don't exist. Waiting for them is just procrastination with better branding. A Great Consultant starts moving on day one - learns through doing, adapts through friction, and trusts that progress will surface what no amount of preparation ever could.
The old way
Requesting six weeks of discovery before making a move.
How it should be done
Identifying the biggest bottleneck on Day 1 and starting the fix on Day 2.
Principle
06 / 06
Most consultants leave before the results come in. Conveniently. A Great Consultant puts their name on the outcome, not just the deck. If you aren't willing to be measured, you aren't confident in your own advice.
The old way
Wrapping up the engagement the moment the recommendation is signed off.
How it should be done
Defining success metrics on day one and agreeing to be held against them at the end.
You were hired to solve a problem. Did you?