What politicians and decision makers could learn from adopting the rigorous, objective enquiry and structured analytical thinking approach used in high-level consulting firms… “True ignorance...Read more about Biased views? Have you considered all the evidence?
We are delighted to announce that friend of Openside, Jeremy Raymond, has launched his new book: “Secrets of Great Salespeople: 50 Ways to Sell Business-To-Business.”...Read more about Secrets of Great Salespeople: 50 Ways to Sell Business-To-Business
It is likely you will have seen or heard the ‘Think different’ advertising campaign run by Apple in the late 1990s. As a reminder,...Read more about Thinking different… Why discomfort and risk are the necessary costs of effective consulting
Every organisation has sacred cows – policies, procedures, customs, traditions or even individuals that are untouchable and incontestable. Organisational sacred cows can be fine...Read more about Billable hours – why it’s time for firms to slaughter this sacred cow
Key trends that will affect professional services in 2016 and implications for firms Part 1 of our Behavioural and Cognitive Professional Development Report 2016 presented...Read more about Part 2: Behavioural and Cognitive Professional Development Report 2016
Part 1: The state of behavioural and cognitive development in the professional services industry Introduction In 2015, hundreds of participants from some of the...Read more about Behavioural and Cognitive Professional Development Report 2016
Confidence is a prerequisite mindset for a successful management consultant and is an essential trait when meeting a CEO, senior stakeholder or potential client...Read more about Why ‘Earned right’ is very different to ‘Entitlement’
What professional services firms can learn from astronauts about turning down the foghorn in their minds… Space exploration is amazing. Those who undertake the...Read more about Why Practising and Failing is Better than Failing in Practice
Professional services firms should be under no illusion – the Millennials are coming. In the next few years, Millennials will make up the largest...Read more about Can a ‘traditional’ professional services firm’s culture be compatible with the attitudes of Millennials?
Internal consultants can be like coffee for your organisation. At their best, internal consultants can provide your organisation with the ‘kick’ it really needs...Read more about Internal Consultants – Organisational Adrenaline or Decaffeinated Consultants?
When it comes to critical conversations, consultants have a huge weakness. They just cannot help themselves. They know they shouldn’t do it but the...Read more about The Consultant’s Achilles Heel: Saying “I understand” Too Quickly
It’s time to get smart about when and how to use consultants… There are those in organisations who would happily say “Good riddance” to...Read more about Should you use Internal or External Consultants? What you need to consider
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.