Process is king

Good outcome is seldom the result of undermanaged chaos.

Often a consultant’s technical process looks something like this:

+ Distil the client’s problem into a simple statement. Focus on the critical issues. Remove distractions from superfluous details and ‘whatabout’ism

+ Develop structure for investigation, with a framework that is bought-in by key people. This clarifies what good looks like and focus energy for ideation

+ Demonstrate impacts from ideas, with evidence-based modelling (does not always mean big spreadsheets!). Do not mistake detail for robustness

+ Deliver narrative, a powerful ‘so what’, with foresight for decision-making, with built-in adaptation mechanism as the future is never as forecast.

Of course, how exactly the above is staged will be governed by the client’s management process. A trusted advisor can help the client to manage their internal dynamics.

Most times, the technical issue is dwarfed by client-side chaos… That’s another story.