Why the consulting model doesn’t work when things are messy

Most consulting models work well when the problem has a clearly defined scope, known constraints and a reasonably stable environment. That's just not where most organisations actually find themselves.

Where it starts to break

The work I tend to get pulled into is rarely neat and tidy. A programme's drifting along and nobody's quite sure why, a strategy that made sense six months ago doesn’t seem to be landing, decisions slow down while priorities pull against each other, and the money going into digital is hard to tie to anything you can point at. These definitely aren't clean problems.and often change while you're looking at them.

The mismatch

Traditional consulting struggles here, because it's built for the opposite conditions: defined scopes, structured phases, clear deliverables, and a tidy line between the people thinking and the people doing. That's fine when the path is known but it works far less well when the situation is still unfolding. This is because in a messy environment you usually have to understand the problem before you can properly define it. And by the time you've defined it, it's moved.

What happens instead

So a familiar pattern sets in. The work gets over structured too early with, the focus drifting to deliverables rather than outcomes. And insight gets surfaced but don’t quite make it into action. You end up with more artefacts, status reports, but not much more progress. Nobody sets out for that. It's just how the model is built.

What messy work actually needs

The situations that matter most need something different. Less of a wall between the thinking and the doing. Its also important to leave room to shape the work as you go. It needs clear ownership, quicker decisions, and people who are happy to get on with it before everything's nailed down. Less about process, more about judgement.

How I work instead

This is why I don't run a fixed model. I shape the work around the situation and pull together the right mix of strategy, delivery and digital as it's needed. The focus stays on what's actually going on and what has to shift to move things forward. No layers for the sake of it, no rigid structure to look professional. Just enough structure to create clarity, and enough room to respond as things change.

The real point

Most organisations don't need more advice. They need progress. And when things are messy, progress comes from getting closer to the problem, not further away from it.

If that sounds like your situation, getting closer to it is the part I'm good at. Let's talk.