June 26, 2025
Every client I have ever served has simultaneously desperately needed project management but also didn’t want to pay for it.
It’s one of the key challenges of consulting. To understand this paradox, let’s break down what project management actually is and where a consultant’s help becomes essential.
The PM Paradox
So, what is project management? At its core, project management is about making sure the trains run on time.
It’s the discipline of ensuring that tasks are done correctly, risks are identified and managed, and that the entire initiative is moving forward according to the plan.
Without it, even the best ideas can fall apart.
The Acute Need
Let’s use an example.
Pretend you are a large insurance company that has just acquired a smaller one.
Your existing departments—marketing, sales, operations—all have their own established project management systems for their day-to-day work.
But acquiring and integrating a whole new company?
That’s not something you typically do.
One of the most acute needs for project management in consulting arises when a company takes on a new, unfamiliar type of project.
Why an Outsider?
This is where a consultant comes in. A lot of the foundational work for that integration project would be setting up a dedicated reporting work stream.
This means establishing a weekly cadence for management reviews, building a central project management center, and actively managing the unique risks and dependencies that come with merging two organizations.
In short, the consultant’s job is to create a structure to make sure the entire integration project stays on track.
Because this integration is a new thing that the organization hasn’t done before, it needs a specific organizational capability stood up just for this program.
Consultants are brought in precisely for these situations—when a new, complex task needs to be done right. They establish the necessary project management and governance, and then once the job is done, they typically go away.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, here are the key points about consultants and project management:
- The PM Paradox: Nearly every company needs good project management, but it’s often seen as an overhead cost, creating a natural tension.
- The Core Function: Project management is the essential work of keeping a project on schedule, within scope, and clear of major risks.
- The Sweet Spot: Consultants add the most value on new, temporary, or unfamiliar initiatives (like an acquisition) where a company lacks an established internal process.
- The Consultant’s Role: They build a temporary project management framework—including reporting, risk management, and governance—to guide the new initiative to completion.
- The Exit Plan: Consultants are not permanent. They are hired to build a capability for a specific project and leave once their mission is accomplished.
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