In 10 years of reading industry magazines, this is the first time I have been motivated to respond to an article. I look forward to future columns. I know very few professional consultants outside of the megafirms that ascribe to the short-termism described here. That said, I guess I come out on the side of methodology. M ost of our clients know what their problems are but are typically unable to articulate them clearly or come up with a process to develop and then implement solutions.
Methodology provides that process in a repeatable and auditable manner.
Interestingly, our customers frequently tell us that they value our methodology skill over industry and functional knowledge. More prosaically, a good methodology is an attempt to leverage the knowledge base of a firm, something that aids client and consultant alike. As my colleague Thornton May writes, a methodology is a tool, a necessary but insufficient resource. Nate Newkirk Chairman Newkirk Associates Inc. I was amused by W.F. Dyle's article about consultants.