3 January, 2026
One thing I have tried to accept for the last 22 years, or find a justification for, is the consulting industry’s overreliance on PowerPoint decks filled with too many diagrams and fancy designs that still fail to show how the solutions should be implemented. Solutions backed by extensive analysis may look strong on paper, but they are useless if they are not implemented. As Dwight Eisenhower said, “Good planning without good working is nothing.”
For years, the consulting industry has been known for producing hundreds of slide decks with complex charts and diagrams. However, when it comes to implementation, these ideas often get lost in detail and turn out to be far from reality.
My last two engagements in the Middle East clearly reflect this issue. The clients were hungry for lengthy slides, with little or no clear guidance on how the work should actually be executed.
This reflects a deeper problem. Many consulting firms lack the execution capabilities, or what is commonly called “skin in the game,” which is needed to turn strategy into tangible results.
One way to address this issue is for consulting firms to help clients build their implementation capabilities by training them and supporting them on the ground, backed by step-by-step implementation guidelines and practical implementation plans.
