I have casually (idly?) sat by and read the comments that have gone back
and forth about the PCWeek ad.  It is interesting to see how it has
progressed from a discussion of what HP could (should?) do to a
discussion of what each individual should do.  Now it's time to weigh in
with my two cents worth - and I will keep it short...

First, let it be said that I have the privilege of working for a
different kind of company.  MBS, to be true, is a consulting company and
that makes us different to begin with.  What is more important is the
fact that we are a collaborative company - where everyone is not only
asked to weigh in, but expected to.  This is truly different from any
other company I have ever worked for... and from what I can tell, this
is the model of the future for successful companies.

Second, as a consultant, I believe that I have a obligation on two
fronts to offer up advice that may improve an operation - to MBS and to
our client customers.  I am also aware that this can be interpreted as
"solicitation of future business" - and can fall on more deaf ears than
an employee suggestion.  However, if it is done in the right manner with
appropriate supporting data, it doesn't have to be.  I also believe that
it is my obligation to provide such insights even (especially) if it
does not involve additional work for my firm.

One of the reasons that I feel consulting gets a bad rap in many
companies is that consultants are known to step into a company, do their
job (sometimes), and leave with no trace that the consultant has ever
even been there!  I believe that to improve this, a consultant must be
willing to learn, or already know, the client's business well enough to
be able to step into any role that may be asked of them and to be able
to co-anticipate a client's needs.  This is something that we call the
"customer intimacy model".

I seriously believe that we will continue to see a rise of consulting in
the future as companies continue to retrench to what they do best.
Those consultants who are willing to partner with their clients instead
of simply providing a service are those that I think will become the
valued firms.

Glenn
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