Consulting is War !!

The whole world seems to be at war these days—if you believe the news, it’s non-stop battles everywhere. So, naturally, I ended up with a war dream last night. Spoiler alert: this isn't actually about war or dreams, but somehow, it still managed to reflect my life as a consultant. Let me explain.

In the dream, I’m sprinting like a headless chicken, clutching onto firearms that—of course—decide not to work when I need them most. Sound familiar, consultants. Meanwhile, missiles and bombs are flying all over the place, much like client escalations. They barely miss me, leaving me in a constant state of flux.

There I was, panicking—unsure if I should dive into a bunker , fix the dysfunctional firearm (yet another software update?), or address the actual missiles being fired directly at me (client demands or perhaps... last-minute scope creep?). Decisions, decisions. The story of our lives, right?

Just when I thought I’d caught a break, I spotted some soldiers who looked like they were on my side. Naturally, I sprint towards them, hoping for backup—only to find out they’re aiming right at me! Yep, you guessed it—that’s your product sales team, folks. Just when you think they’re going to help you solve the client's problems, they take a “neutral customer-centric approach” and throw you right under the bus, while you’re left standing in the crossfire.

Now, in true war movie fashion, I drop my non-functional firearms and switch to hand-to-hand combat, because clearly, nothing else is going to work. I’m dodging blows, throwing punches, and just praying for the best—much like dealing with your own product sales teams, who's ready to escalate to your boss's boss.

 And just as I’m about to land a hit, WHAM! A punch to my face and a kick to my back! Wait, that wasn’t a soldier—it was my wife waking me up because I’d kicked her in my sleep. Oops.

Sweating from all the battlefield action, I sat up and couldn’t help but reflect on the uncanny resemblance this dream had to my consulting career a few years ago.

In consulting, you're constantly running from one crisis to another: the product isn’t market-ready, the project milestones are slipping, and deadlines are vanishing into thin air. Escalations are flying around like missiles, and your forecasts? Yeah, they're as reliable as those faulty firearms in my dream.

Now, let’s just pause and admire the real skill set a consultant needs: Product ,Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving (mostly under duress), Creativity (because you’re making things up as you go), Analytical Ability (while juggling a dozen other tasks), Communication (or how to politely say, "Please stop ruining my life"), Interpersonal Relationships (even with those who just shot at you), Influencing without Authority (because you never actually have any), and of course, an almost Olympic ability to soak in pressure.

If consulting were an actual war, let’s be honest—I’d probably be running toward enemy fire with nothing but a PowerPoint deck and a "can-do" attitude.

But, much like my dream, I survived. The moral of the story? Whether you’re dodging missiles in your sleep or in the boardroom, it’s all just another day on the consulting battlefield.