Specialisation: Letting Market Forces Prevail

Abstract

Specialisation and integrated working (the subject of the next chapter) are mirror images of the same issue. They both stem from clients’ almost universal — and completely comprehensible — desire to hire experts. ‘Ten years ago’, said one client I talked to, ‘people would have listened if you said you were a business consultant. You might have known a fair amount about a particular subject, but you’d also be expected to know about business “in general”. I don’t believe business “in general” exists anymore — and neither should “business consultants”. It’s not breadth we need’, said another client, ‘it’s depth’.

People businesses are the hardest businesses to run, although in many ways they’re the most rewarding. I sometimes say that if I could come back in another life, I’d like to have at least a few physical assets as well — give me a bit of machinery or something!

Adam Gutstein, Chairman, DiamondCluster