Opinion: Mature consultants don't always want to tear down the house

I work with data. I understand that for most organizations, that the data they own is the most valuable asset the company owns.

One thing I’ve learned from working with data is that unlike application software, data generally outlives generations of applications, is often used by many different applications, and typically just morphs from shape to shape over time. It almost never gets totally refreshed.

This is a good thing.

I’ve been in the industry long enough to see many types of consultants. One type that I have the least time for, is the type that always wants to tear down or replace whatever is already there at an organization. It’s far easier to just say “let’s replace it all” than to try to work out what to do.

Many of these consultants don’t really understand what’s already in place, but because it looks different to what they are used to, it must be wrong, and it must be replaced.

A mature consultant might not like what they see but they take the time to consider what’s already there.

The mature consultant is skilled enough to work out how to take the organization from a place that they don’t want to be, to a place which is better than where they are now.

That’s the real skill.

2017-11-21