What we assumed only had the ramifications of the common flu actually brought world economies into a recession.
Clientele delayed projects, suffocated the scope, or cancelled them full stop. High-value engagements that were usually held in-person were now reserved for “recovery” and “recalibration in the new normal.” Less prioritized stuff got scaled back into virtual theater.
Then a second pandemic took hold: Zoom fatigue.
I was already leading some decisions in the background about how my company should move forward — way before the pandemic. There were some patterns in the consulting industry that few people cared to look at.
Turns out my thinking was spot on.
The Answer is in the Question
Warren Berger, long-time innovation journalist and Author of “A More Beautiful Question,” has studied hundreds of world leading entrepreneurs, change-makers, and creative leaders. The one decisive trait that they all shared is the skillset for asking the right questions.
Most of the pieces coming together weren’t answers, but fragments until I ended up with a much more startling question:
What is it that exceptional architects do versus the millions of masons out there whose services are easily replicated and copied?
Let me explain what I was seeing in the last decade, one which was full of fads, social media, and mainstream business media theatrics.
From the Top
Global Management Consulting is a $200 billion industry. That number fluctuates depending on who you read. Despite the projected 18% revenue drop because of COVID-19, or minus $28 billion in revenue collectively, the industry will still prevail. A slightly new report shows the industry will still grow at a CAGR of 3% between 2020 and 2027.
The consulting industry has become one of the largest segments under the umbrella of “professional services.” No matter if it’s a pandemic or nuclear bomb going off, economies will…