Points of View

The Pelorus – March 2019

We know that many of our clients would like to stay on top of recent thought-leadership but struggle to discover new content because they...Read more about The Pelorus – March 2019

Points of View

Tales of the Unexpected: Rethinking Differentiation

Contents (Skip to): Executive Summary Rethinking Differentiation Four Tales of the Unexpected: Illustrative Case Studies A Professional Services Example – A ‘Prestigious’ Consulting Firm...Read more about Tales of the Unexpected: Rethinking Differentiation

Points of View

Beyond the Cusp of Disruption in Consulting

In October 2013, Clayton Christensen, Dina Wang and Derek van Bever published their seminal article ‘Consulting on the Cusp of Disruption‘ in the Harvard...Read more about Beyond the Cusp of Disruption in Consulting

Points of View

Posters from IBM’s ‘Quest for Quality’ Exhibition, 1985

Posters from IBM’s ‘Quest for Quality’ Exhibition, 1985. In the late 80’s and early 90’s, when I was delivering introductory ‘Consulting Skills’ training worldwide...Read more about Posters from IBM’s ‘Quest for Quality’ Exhibition, 1985

Points of View

Proposals: How to make them a point of difference, not a point of reference

There is a memorable short scene in the Disney Pixar film A Bug’s Life which finds two mosquitoes flying close to a blue fluorescent light....Read more about Proposals: How to make them a point of difference, not a point of reference

Points of View

The Professional Services Procurement Conundrum

All business support functions have been on an evolutionary path during the past 30 years but none of these journeys have been written about...Read more about The Professional Services Procurement Conundrum

Points of View

Is it worth it? Is the ‘always-on’ culture in professional services worth the cost?

Is it worth it? At the beginning of this Special Report we asked, is it worth it? Is the dominant ‘always-on’ culture in professional...Read more about Is it worth it? Is the ‘always-on’ culture in professional services worth the cost?

Points of View

Challenging the ‘always-on’ culture – lead from the front

The first four suggestions we outlined earlier in this Report are strategies – tangible rules or steps that firms and individuals can take to...Read more about Challenging the ‘always-on’ culture – lead from the front

Points of View

What can individuals and their firms do to mitigate the ‘always-on’ culture?

There is little doubt that the ‘always-on’ culture of professional services comes at a high cost for both individuals and their firms. From research...Read more about What can individuals and their firms do to mitigate the ‘always-on’ culture?

Points of View

The costs of the ‘always-on’ culture to individuals and firms with important caveats

Managerial pressure, technology, economic incentives and psychological drivers: it’s easy to understand why the ‘always-on’ culture continues to dominate in professional services. As Sarah...Read more about The costs of the ‘always-on’ culture to individuals and firms with important caveats

Points of View

Why the ‘always-on’ culture continues to dominate in professional services

Sarah Green Carmichael, an Executive Editor at Harvard Business Review has outlined three key reasons why the ‘always-on’ culture continues to dominate in professional...Read more about Why the ‘always-on’ culture continues to dominate in professional services

Points of View

Special Report: Is it worth it? Examining the ‘always-on’ culture in professional services

A Special Report examining the prevailing ‘always-on’ culture in professional services, its impact, and what can be done by individuals and the firm’s leadership....Read more about Special Report: Is it worth it? Examining the ‘always-on’ culture in professional services
Read our full Points of View overview.

The Openside Group’s Points of View is an extensive library of thought-leadership built over more than a decade, written specifically for professionals and leaders working in consulting, law, accounting, financial services and other advisory sectors.

The articles are deliberately challenging and thought-provoking, bridging the gap between academic research and real-world practice. Every piece is grounded in Openside’s deep experience of working with professional services firms across the globe and comes with practical recommendations that readers can act on.

The library spans a broad range of topics that matter most to people building careers and leading teams in professional services. On the technical side, readers will find rich content on analytical problem-solving, structured thinking, hypothesis-driven approaches, and critical thinking – the core intellectual skills that distinguish great consultants. Communication and storytelling feature prominently too, with articles exploring how to present with impact, craft compelling narratives and avoid the common trap of turning insight into a data dump.

Business development and client relationships are another major thread, covering everything from winning proposals and navigating procurement to building trusted advisor relationships and differentiating your firm in a crowded market.

Leadership runs throughout the archive – from practical tips for new managers stepping into their first leadership role, to the complex dynamics of Partner performance, development and succession. Alongside this sits a growing body of content on wellbeing, resilience and workplace culture, including a widely read special report on the “always-on” culture that dominates professional services.

More recently, Openside has turned its attention to the future of the profession – examining how AI is reshaping consulting, what the rise of Gen Z means for firms, and how skills-based development is changing the talent landscape.

Taken together, the Points of View represent one of the most comprehensive independent perspectives on professional development and performance in professional services available today.