Technique
So you have been asked to do business development!
Business development is a long game of building trust, staying useful, and earning the right to ask for the work when the timing is right.
Technique
Project Burn-Downs: From Old-School Spreadsheets to AI-Powered Forecasts
I wrote the original article anchored in the old-school way of tracking project burn-downs. The fundamentals still hold, but AI now gives us a not-so-old-school way to keep forecasts current....and it will blow your mind.
Skill
Proper engagement forecasts provide commercial control while options still exist
Project financial forecasting turns budget variance into a management advantage. Seeing under or overspends early lets you adjust scope, pace, and resources while options still exist. It is how smart teams stay in control and finish with fewer surprises....and maybe even increase fees.
Skill
Why Great Consultants Start With a Delivery Compass
The Most Overlooked Skill in Consulting Starts Before the Work Does, with a a structured approach.
Technique
Laws Consultants Should Know
Consulting is messy. These timeless laws help you spot patterns early, manage the chaos, and steer complex work toward outcomes that actually stick.
Technique
Is Your Program Actually Viable?
Missed dates and stressed teams aren’t the problem. They’re symptoms. The Viable Systems Model (VSM) can help consultants diagnose structural underlying issues.
Project Management
The Anatomy of an engagement Status Report That Builds Executive Trust
Executives don’t ignore status reports by accident. They ignore bad ones on purpose. Good reports surface uncomfortable truths early and make it obvious where leadership attention is needed.
Technique
ChatGPT script to give you a winning consulting approach
Win your next assignment with structure, not luck. This script helps you craft a best-practice consulting approach through guided questions that turn ambiguity into clarity, delivering clear phases, outcomes, deliverables, and tools you can adapt for any engagement.
Consulting Insight
Lessons in developing an Investement Logic Map from the North Pole
Chapter 4: This is the 4th in a series on Santa's digital transformation. See my Investment Logic Map Framework here and lessons for consultants when they develop one with a client
Consulting Insight
Lessons establishing a PMO from the North Pole (download the PMO framework)
Chapter 3: I'm going to try to bring consultant tools, templates and techniques to life using Pole Enterprises as my case study. This is the 3rd in a series on Santas Digital Transformation. See my PMO Framework here.
Consulting Insight
Lessons in Customer Journey Mapping from the North Pole
Chapter 2: I'm going to try to bring consultant tools, templates and techniques to life using Pole Enterprises as my case study. This is 2nd in the series on how to do customer journey mapping. The 1st was Mrs Claus letter.
Consulting Insight
My Delivery Playbook to Turn Messy Engagements into Repeatable Wins
If your work blends into the background, you’ll be replaced by the next consulting firm promising something shinier.