Creativity

Conventional wisdom has appropriated Consulting to the experienced- WRONGLY!

The foot soldiers are closest to reality, have access to the most operative detail and open to experiment. They lend a fresh perspective to the problem statement.

Award the first move to the foot soldier, allow them to be creative and watch them transform into a Queen

Compliance

Never lose sight of Compliance. Ignorance is not an excuse and being on the wrong side of law is not an option.

Engage a critic in your team that delivers the straight focused moves of a Rook. Its unwavering commitment to compliance and immunity to get distracted by what may be happening around delivers the power needed to penetrate through an army of cynics and opportunists alike.

Competition

Never lose sight of what competition may have in store for you.

Competitors could vanish into dark cells, when you saw them perched on a lighted platform, or simply appearing into visible zone, from nowhere – like a Knight.

Never be too confident of your subject matter expertise, aggressive pricing or glorious ranking as a leader. Watch out for competitors jumping over your opportunities through alliances or innovative business models.

Agility and responsiveness to unpredictable changes is the key to a successful consulting.

The executive sponsor could change, or a new regulation could appear or the delivery team itself get pulled into more critical assignments – there is no room for hard coding the methodology, framework or the deliverable.

Adaptability, like that of a Bishop, remains the key to survival.

Change

Crisis

Anticipate a crisis where none exists.

Despite immaculate planning, there will be surprises. Unleashing the smartest of the resources, expertise and relationships alone will save the day.

The prowess of a Queen has to be reserved for an eventuality too complex to be resolved with routine army. Your client will remember you for your ability to hold your head high in the wake of a crisis it failed to predict.

Cash

Cash is King…need we say more!

Free consulting may be a door opener for some cases – but never to be positioned as an offering. Findings from most consultancies that are offered free often find their way to the trash. Value must not only be delivered, but perceived to be delivered – and redeemed.