"C2B" Consulting-to-Business

Dwayne D. Jakes & Associates Management Systems, LLC

P.O. Box 12361-2361

Columbus, GA. 31917-2361

Phone (706) 561-5346 Fax (706) 561-8644

E-mail info@ddjakes.com

Website http://www.ddjakes.com

April 2003

Post War "Operation Iraqi Freedom" Economic Consulting Trends & Analysis

Taking Care of your consulting firm these days means managing perpetual motion.

     Consulting firms must keep reshaping, shifting and flexing to fit our rapidly changing economy. We must continue to maximize our operational efficiencies and add perceived value to our clients. That's the only way we can hope to survive in this fiercely competitive environment. Look for us to restructure, outsource, downsize, subcontract and form new consulting alliances. Some examples of consultancies who have already undertaken these changes are Experio (formerly Grant Thornton) acquired by Hitachi, Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting) Braxton (formerly Deloitte & Touche) and Bearing Point (formerly KPMG Consulting).

     You can also expect flexible ways of working. Duties will be constantly realigned. Short-lived engagements will be common. Maybe you'll work on a contingency fee basis, or spend time on several project teams, (Consulting Alliances). You might even end up working for more than one "client" at a time.

     Some of you are not going to like some of this. Chances are, no one will approve these measures at all. But that's neither here nor there. The question is, will you become a quick-change agent during these postwar economic times?

     It is imperative that you realize that resistance to change is almost always a dead end street. The consulting opportunities come when you align immediately with new organizational needs and realities. When you're proactive, add consistent perceived value to your clients ROI, and show high capacity for adjustment, many corporations will extend an offer for your services. Organizations want people who adapt-fast-not those who resist change radically.

     Granted post war change can be painful. When it damages consulting opportunities, emotions such as grief, anger, and depression come naturally, making it hard for people to "buy in" and be productive. Yet being a quick change agent during the post war economy can build your reputation for being a proactive consultant, while resisting change can ruin it. Vision, not reactive managing consulting interventions, makes you a valuable commodity during these tough economic times.

     Plan and organize for rapid recovery. Take personal responsibility for adapting to change, just like you would if you accepted a new consulting engagement with a new client.

"C2B" Consulting-to-Business is a free, monthly, electronic newsletter written and published by Dwayne. D. Jakes, D.B.A., Founder & Managing Director of Dwayne D. Jakes & Associates Management Systems, LLC. Past Columns are archived at http://www.ddjakes.com

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