Two seasoned consultants sharing their unexpected journeys into consulting and what has kept them engaged in the field throughout their careers. Here are 4 things you should learn about getting into consulting...

We Discuss:

• Why did they go into consulting?
• Why stay in consulting throughout a career?

Key Highlights:

• Chris and Whynde share their journeys into consulting, with Whynde moving from biology/chemistry to consulting at a boutique firm where her first client was General Electric during the Jack Welch era (00:01:36-00:03:00).
• Whynde's first consulting experience involved working on software for GE's medical machines like CT scanners and MRIs, focusing on pricing and configuration, which helped shape her career through exposure to complex business environments (00:03:22-00:03:42).
• Whynde credits her growth to mentorship from demanding leaders, including a CEO at her first firm and Doug Hackney, a thought leader in data warehousing and business intelligence (00:04:11-00:04:55).
• Chris entered consulting after working in grocery retail as what would now be called an enterprise architect, eventually joining IBM through connections with their talent pool because he wanted to contribute to how their tools were sold and implemented (00:05:22-00:05:50).
• Chris remains in consulting because he enjoys the human element of technology implementation—understanding how different people's perspectives affect the use cases for tools, creating unique challenges in each environment (00:07:15-00:08:09).

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4 Takeaways:

1. Successful consultants often enter the field through unconventional paths, as demonstrated by Whynde transitioning from biology/chemistry to consulting and Chris moving from grocery retail architecture to IBM (00:01:36-00:05:50).
2. Early career experiences with demanding clients like GE during the Jack Welch era established high professional standards that shaped Whynde's future consulting approach, emphasizing quality and excellence (00:03:00-00:03:42).
3. Mentorship plays a crucial role in consulting career development, with both Whynde and Chris highlighting specific leaders who recognized their potential and provided opportunities for growth despite their non-traditional backgrounds (00:02:18-00:04:55).
4. The human element of technology implementation—understanding different perspectives on use cases and business problems—provides ongoing intellectual engagement that keeps experienced consultants interested in the field (00:07:15-00:08:09).

Enterprise Architects are just really good technologists and all they really need to know is the latest thing about AI or Agents or Gonkulators or Flux Capacitors. 🤖 🛸 🤓

Yeah. Right.

Whynde Kuehn and I recently attended the Next Generation SAP Enterprise Architecture Learning Forum at SAP HQ in Newton Square, PA. We spoke to some of our friends who were also attending the event. Our question? What skills do EA's need to navigate the tidal wave of transformation? 💫 💥 💬

We Discuss:

- What does an architect need to know and develop skill-wise to navigate the coming transformation?

- What are the skills for the future that an architect needs to have?

- What do consultants need to do to take the journey of transformation, whether with AI, robotics, or other technologies?

- What are the most important skills for enterprise architects helping organizations with transformation now and in the future?

5 Takeaways:

1) Enterprise architects must understand how data quality affects AI outcomes, as emphasized by examples of poor or outdated training data that leads to irrelevant AI responses in practical applications like customer service.

2) The role of enterprise architects is rapidly evolving beyond technical specialization, requiring them to develop flexible mindsets and continuously learn about emerging technologies from cloud to AI to quantum computing.

3) Effective consultants need to master the ability to "switch hats" and understand different perspectives, using question-based approaches to better comprehend client contexts before recommending solutions.

4) Linda Finley describes a three-layered approach to enterprise architecture: implementation/integration at the base, business strategy/capability definition in the middle, and a "mystic" visionary layer that anticipates future opportunities and disruptions.

5) Technology initiatives like AI should not be developed as standalone strategies but rather integrated into the organization's existing direction and purpose to maximize business value and optimization.

Is it difficult to find work these days if you've spent your consulting career as a generalist? What is the real value of broad experience in today's market and is it actually an advantage rather than a limitation? There are 6 things you need to know...

We Discuss:

• Is being a "jack of all trades, master of none" truly a disadvantage when transitioning from consulting to industry?
• At what point in a consulting career do you decide "I suck at this" and need to get out?
• Does the world really not value generalists, or are we just telling the wrong story?
• Should consultants with broad experience focus on developing a specialty, or continue leveraging their generalist background?
• If you're facing an "up or out" situation and need to find a job quickly, should you focus on building new skills or leveraging your existing network?

6 Takeaways:

1. Many consultants struggle with career transitions not because they lack skills, but because they're approaching the job search incorrectly by mass-applying to positions instead of leveraging their existing professional networks.
2. Being a "utility player" or generalist in consulting can be a significant strength, particularly in emerging fields like AI and sustainability where connecting different domains of knowledge is crucial.
3. When faced with career transitions, consultants should focus on crafting a compelling two-sentence narrative about their value proposition rather than trying to list every skill and experience they've accumulated.
4. Challenge the common self-assessment of "poor business development skills" among consultants. Such perceived failures often stem from structural issues within consulting firms rather than individual capabilities.
5. The corporate world's bias against generalists is largely a remnant of industrial-era thinking, even though modern business challenges increasingly require broad, integrative thinking.
6. Career management should be proactive rather than reactive, suggesting that building and maintaining professional networks should happen continuously throughout one's career, not just during transitions.

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To read the Reddit thread that we are reacting to in this episode, check out this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/consulting/comments/1cbecjo/jack_of_all_trades_master_of_none/