New book review for Infinite Shades of Grey: Advanced Consulting, by Ian R. Hunter, 2012, reposted here:
One of the best consulting texts from an in-the-trenches been-there-done-that perspective, unlike some other texts in this space that are often a bit too formulaic to provide practical advice to consultants or aspiring consultants. While the content that the author provides here goes well beyond what the title and preface suggest, the book revolves around the premise that during a consulting engagement, "the process used and the potential solution should never be defined in black and white, but in infinite shades of grey".
A few years ago, I read a book by Roger L. Martin entitled "The Opposable Mind: How Successful Leaders Win Through Integrative Thinking" (see my review), in which the philosophy of Bob Young, co-founder and former CEO of Red Hat, is shared through several quotes. Hunter would agree with Young, who is quoted as saying not only that "there is always more than one way to succeed in any given situation...whatever we adopt as our first answer is bound to be wrong", but that "customers are not always right...customers lie or they are wrong."
Hunter comments that "there is an old adage that the customer is always right. Nonsense. The customer is talking to a consultant because they don't have the answers." Prior to this assertion, the author explains that "black and white (and the world of absolutes) can never properly define a client's problem, the process used to solve it, or the solution itself. Inexperienced or bad consultants see the problem, process, and solution in black and white."
"They know exactly what is wrong, exactly how to fix it and exactly what needs to be delivered. Most of the time, they are wrong and some of the time they are really wrong. The world is filled with bad consultants." The author furthers this thought by writing that "when you investigate a grey problem, you ask more questions, you dig deeper, and you look for not a single but many potential causes of the problem. When you utilize a grey process, you are flexible and adaptable, and this allows you to be open to more possibilities and minimize preconceptions."
This work is broken down into 28 different easily digestible areas of discussion relevant to independent consultants and those working in consulting firms. The content could use some editing, but this is a self-published work that might not have made its way through typical channels otherwise, due to the frankness that I especially appreciate as a consultant. And the "top tips" that the author provides throughout the book (and lists in his concluding chapter), show that Hunter is down-to-earth.
Other than the preface and the chapter entitled "Why are there Infinite Shades of Grey?", I also especially appreciated the chapters "Being in Demand and Understanding Your Value", "Increasing Your Value and Your Compensation", "Understanding Grey and Building a Relationship with Your Client", "Integrity and Ethics in IT Consulting", and "Tips for Your Personal Success". The author has over 30 years of consulting experience, and the numerous personal examples he provides (many of which are also entertaining) are sure to help readers relate.
In the last chapter listed above, the author argues that the technical consultant should be viewed as a pie sliced into four pieces, comprising technical knowledge, behavioral skills, business knowledge, and sales and marketing knowledge, and that most commodity consultants really only participate in a quarter of the pie (technical knowledge). After explaining what helps transform the commodity consultant into a value-based consultant, however, Hunter follows up by writing that "technical knowledge will always be the largest part of what you do and who you are, and it is up to you to figure out the best way to develop" it, the only portion of the pie that this book does not discuss. Well recommended.