The Future of Consulting: Why Ethics and Agility matter more than ever
Once defined by rigid frameworks, standardised playbooks, and an expectation that businesses must adapt to consultants’ methodologies, the landscape has changed. Now, businesses are demanding more from their consultants – not just in terms of return on investment, but also in alignment with their values and ethics, writes Anchoram Consulting CEO Glenn Ashe.
Traditional consulting models, which rely on predefined strategies and templated solutions, are simply losing relevance. Previous constants in the business world, from even ten years ago are no longer – rapid technological change, geopolitical instability, and shifting economic conditions are now on top of the whiteboards of nearly every business nationwide. What worked yesterday, is more or less obsolete.
Yet, a lot of consulting organisations, due to their rigid internal structures, continue to apply outdated methodologies that fail to account for the new speed of the game.
Clients are noticing and increasingly rejecting outdated frameworks in favour of more adaptable approaches. Instead of dictating solutions, those who want to succeed need to collaborate closely with businesses, integrating their expertise with the unique needs of each client and be ‘in the trenches’ with the client teams to deal with challenges that evolve in real time.
Ethics and Transparency in Consulting
Consultants have always been under some level of justifiable scrutiny, however in recent years, concerns around conflicts of interest, short-term fixes that fail to drive long-term success, and misleading pricing structures have become more and more evident. This has led to reputational damage, which has led businesses to become more selective in choosing their advisors.
This is where ethical consulting is starting to emerge as a real differentiator in a very crowded field. Ethical consulting is not just about compliance; clients (and consulting staff) want to foster genuine, long-term partnerships. Consulting firms which can demonstrate transparency in pricing, decision-making, a clear commitment to client interests over profit-driven motives, and an emphasis on sustainable strategies will make them truly stand out in the market.
Likewise, those ignorant to this shift in favour, will also stand out, with a different outcome for them.
Businesses that engage advisors are, rightly so, now asking tough questions:
- Does this consultant prioritise our success over their own revenue?
- Are they willing to challenge us with honest insights rather than telling us what we want to hear?
- Do their values align with our corporate culture and long-term vision?
It is not good enough anymore to tick some of those boxes if a client is going to spend precious resources on a consultant, a satisfactory response to all three questions is a must.
Flexibility and Value
No longer are arbitrary metrics enough to prove success, buyers want to see tangibly how their business is better off through investing in consulting expertise. Economic pressures have made businesses more selective with their budgets, and return is something that must be proven.
Increasingly, days of Partners just getting involved in sales and palming off the delivery to junior staff are thankfully numbered. There is a desire for client teams to work closely with senior practitioners that deliver complex work and improve internal capabilities and facilitate knowledge transfer.
Another trend is that static, multi-year consulting contracts with little room for change, used to rule the day, but are now an impractical and an archaic relic. Instead, clients are seeking advisors who can pivot when necessary, tailoring strategies based on real-time market shifts. Consultants who embed practical agility into their consulting approach – without compromising on integrity – are earning the trust of clients and setting themselves apart in an increasingly scrutinised industry.
A New Era of Consulting
Businesses are demanding advisors who align with their values, prioritise ethical decision-making, and adapt to changing circumstances. The future of consulting belongs to firms that embrace these principles, proving that success is built not just on expertise, but on trust, transparency, and the ability to navigate complexity with agility.
As organisations continue to reassess their relationships with external advisors, the question is no longer just, “What can a consultant do for us?” but “Does this consultant truly understand our business, share our values, and have the flexibility to grow with us?”. No firm is too big for scrutiny, that much has been proven well, again and again.
A new era that will favour results over old relationships and transparency over ‘black box consulting’ has already begun, and those still resisting will be overtaken by ethical fir
