The Art of Clanger Avoidance

If you're a consultant - or you've hired consultants - you've probably heard the expression "nobody ever got fired for hiring the Big 6". The idea is that if a big name consulting firm drops a clanger on a client engagement then the person responsible for bringing them in can't really be blamed because I mean, how often do these guys screw up? We must just be unlucky! If a boutique is selected however and something blows up then the hiring individual is likely to be tarred and feathered for leaving the company's valuables in the care of a bunch of fly-by-nights who obviously didn't know their pivot tables from their pyramid principles. Interestingly I was speaking to a grad school buddy of mine just last week who recently left one of the big firms (to go open a beach bar, go figure...attaboy!). He was telling me how a few weeks before he left, he was part of a large team helping a software company shorten their product development cycle, respond quicker to changes in customer needs, and generally become more nimble in the marketplace . To cut a long story short the client ended up firing my friend's firm because they weren't able to respond quickly enough to issues that arose during the project and changes in direction the client wanted to make in scope and approach to address these issues. I thought this ironic (and not a little funny) since the firm had obviously sold itself as being able to help this client turn, spin and triple flip on every dime that came its way. Should they have considered a smaller consulting firm that was more likely to be eating its own dog food when it came to nimbleness and flexibility? Or did that seem too far to extend the neck when the comfy cushions of big firm security were within easy reach? Who knows, sometimes it's not that simple. There are certainly plenty of examples out there of big firms that have successfully oared their clients through rapidly changing currents. It does make me think though that companies looking to hire consultants for engagements that intrinsically are most likely to encounter unexpected pockets of mid-air turbulence should apply considerable weight to evaluating the candidates' abilities to guide their clients through a project's occasional bumpy moments to a smooth landing. Lengthy chain linked methodologies are the ones I've seen most often get wrapped around the axle of a less than smoothly unfolding project work plan. Look for pragmatism, flexibility, a willingness to reconsider the last few steps taken and adjust course if some new data suggests that might be the wisest move. Worried about that small firm risk? Ask for a few more references than you would the big guys to quiet your concerns. Unless of course those Big 6 cushions are looking too comfy....Hey, you want an easy life? I know a beach bar owner who needs a partner....