
Points of View
Our Points of View articles are challenging, thought-provoking and, hopefully, enjoyable.
We like to think and talk about how theory becomes practice, and how academic research can produce real-world results. Everything we write comes with recommendations and actionable ideas based on our long experience in the professional services sector.




Proposals: How to make them a point of difference, not a point of reference 2023


Why are there so few women at the top of Professional Service Firms?

Should early career lawyers be trained in Business Development?



Internal advisors: What do your stakeholders expect from you?

Are you struggling to develop relationships and establish credibility with senior stakeholders?





Internal Advisors in your organisation – double espresso or caffeine-free?












Leading Virtually in the Absence of the Artefacts of Authority – Why Authenticity is Key



Internal Consultants – Organisational Adrenaline or Decaffeinated Consultants?






Why your organisation is not ready to train and develop your salesforce

Learning from a terrible DJ about the perils of the predetermined solution




The billable hour kills your firm’s values – what are the alternatives?



Proposals: How to make them a point of difference, not a point of reference


Is it worth it? Is the ‘always-on’ culture in professional services worth the cost?

What can individuals and their firms do to mitigate the ‘always-on’ culture?

The costs of the ‘always-on’ culture to individuals and firms with important caveats

Why the ‘always-on’ culture continues to dominate in professional services

Special Report: Is it worth it? Examining the ‘always-on’ culture in professional services


How organisations can overcome big data’s two biggest obstacles

What do award-winning consulting firms do better than the rest?

Time’s up for the billable hour: Focusing on value is now the only option

How creative agencies can take on consulting firms at their own game – and win




Why are there so few women at the top of Professional Services Firms?

Underperformance all round? The Performance Management Conversation in Partner Groups

Is the definition of Partner “No more development required”?

Special Report: Mission Impossible? Managing Performance within the Partner Group

How to Improve the Management of Performance within the Partner Group

Part 2: The current role of marketing in professional services firms

Who are Millennials and why should professional services firms care?

Developing ‘Human Skills’ among the Millennial professional services workforce

Part 3: Redefining the role of marketing in a professional services firm

Part 4: The ‘Hidden Curriculum’ of professional services marketing

Part 1: The challenges facing marketing teams in traditional professional services firms

Special Report: Professional Services Marketing is Dead; Long Live Professional Services Marketing

Special Report: Why (most) training is still useless and what leaders can do about it

Part 2: The negative perceptions of leaders’ attitudes towards training in firms

Part 4: What leaders can do about it? How to apply a Broken Windows Strategy in your firm


Special Report: Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in Professional Services

Defining a professional services career skill set for Millennials



Rethinking Value in Consulting: What distinguishes the top performing firms from the rest?


Why now is the time for your consulting firm to revisit its professional development strategy




Challenging your clients: Get “That’s fair enough” not “That’s far enough”




Overcoming the gender leadership gap and women only development programmes

Microwave Beds, The Great British Bake Off and Behavioural Change Programmes

From ‘Agents’ to ‘Advisors’ – Differentiating your property / real estate firm

10 unique dynamics of professional services firms that hinder change efforts

Consulting Excellence: The Implications for Professional Development

Rethinking the parable of the old man, the hammer and the broken engine


Secrets of Great Salespeople: 50 Ways to Sell Business-To-Business

Thinking different… Why discomfort and risk are the necessary costs of effective consulting

Internal Consulting Research Report: Begin as trusted insiders, grow as respected professionals

Billable hours – why it’s time for firms to slaughter this sacred cow