Hello Wingman,
First, let me say that after my fifteen minutes were up yesterday, I re-read
your post and noticed the qualifier which followed your initial statement,
advising not to take it to heart. In retrospect, I guess my grandpa was right.
I should never react on first impulse. I am a little ambivalent about the
wisdom I demonstrated by replying to your views. In any event, you ask:
"Why should I not know now and not know never?"
Very simply, because the ethics associated with consulting and objective
investigation have in large part been lost to time, relegated to an art form of
a bygone era, for all intents and purposes. I will assume that you have
followed this trend, yourself, and will have some difficulty adjusting to what
I am talking about here. You may not even have any idea concerning what
I'm referring to, in this context. And that's okay, you can blame it on the
culture of 21st Century Business Ethics. So, I don't blame you for your
views, after all. Glad you brought them up, in fact.
While I still hold true to the precepts implied in the consulting
commandments shown at the bottom of this message, most others in
business these days do not. The culture has morphed in this respect, and it
is not unusual to find a big 6, or 4 or 3 firm in bed with Big Blue or Cisco on
"strategic platform initiatives" and the like, co-branding their consulting
practices with these other giants, into the minds of corporate America's
executive elites who are increasingly desperate for "consulting" solutions.
I make a good living on the basis of giving objective opinions in my niche
areas, although it's not always easy to convey professional trust and moral
fiber these days. The notion is even foreign to many clients.
Notwithstanding this form of handicapping, I still don't get into bed with
vendors, not even for strategic reasons or for any direct gain from them,
whatsoever. Whenever I have had financial transactions with vendors in
the past, it has been under the banner of agency on behalf of a client. And I
always try to discourage this practice, in all ways possible, for it leads to
false assumptions on the parts of the solutions makers. Otherwise, my
relationships with principal vendors are on the basis of NDA only, and
almost always in connection with clients' business initiatives. In other
instances, it's pure research.
In this regard, I can be a real stick in the mud to all concerned, sometimes.
For, the client very often wants one-stop shopping, even at the obvious
costs associated with the inevitable compromises that must ensue, whenever
there is "partnering" between someone disguised as a consultant, and a
vendor.
"...can of worms" <?>
AHhaha and I were the first to declare that the SR story is riddled with
mystery, and that it can be classified at this time only as an enigma. But
that doesn't amount to a can of worms. What it does amount to is bad (or
silly) public relations, at worst, or a proactive stance on intellectual property
protection, at best. See my comments in the message I posted yesterday
about Corvis. Notice my innuendo, about having seen this before, regarding
nondisclosure concerning their inner workings.
The following Ten Commandments of Consulting were developed several
years ago on the Compuserve Telecommunications Forum by an associate
of mine, Brad Buxton, and myself. He compiled these guidelines during a
lengthy and rather exhaustive thread having to do with business practices in
Telecomms and consulting ethics. He has since gone on to incorporate
these principles into his consulting charter, as I have, mine. I have a copy of
them on my office wall. Read them and learn what consulting should be all
about, if you don't already know.
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The Ten Commandments of Consulting,
by Brad Buxton
I. You have to have an opinion, and preferably should arrive at it on your
own.
II. Don't take bribes, lunches, advice, or anything else from a vendor.
Otherwise, you'll just be a distributor of their product, and you will no longer
be a consultant.
III. Don't even maintain a dialogue with a vendor that offers you a bribe.
Your reputation is damaged just as badly by the appearance, as if you
had taken it.
IV. Take risks, when the reward exceeds the risks. Arrange contingencies
in the event of error, and learn from the your mistakes and the mistakes of
others.
V. No matter how different your clients' ideas are, or how obstinate their
position, never disparage their ideas.
VI. If you are in a situation where you don't have any options, and have
only one vendor to rely on for a solution, it's better to fold than to play the
hand.
VII. Always be up front with your client. Even when things don't look
great, let them know exactly where they stand. That way, they will be
there with you, and will appreciate it if you pull off a miracle. If things go
badly, they'll understand why.
VIII. When a client speaks, listen. Nothing is so important as
understanding their needs and outlook. You'll have plenty of opportunity to
render your opinion later.
IX. Treat the vendors fairly. They don't need to make a steak, but they
should be able to make a sandwich. Everyone needs to win and be
appreciated.
X. If you get a vendor with a bad attitude, pitch them out immediately.
There are too many good ones waiting out there that will do a great job if
you let them.
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You will note that nowhere does it state that a consultant should avoid
investigating a technology, or the enterprise behind it, based solely on the
appearance of eccentricity of its founders, or their public relations profile.
Have a good day.
Regards, Frank Coluccio
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