Super entertaining. Watched this 17min video about the Golden State Warriors made by a NBA enthusiast / student / Youtuber. Dom 2K. Great job – this is really ESPN quality. What was so good about the video? What does this have to do with how consultants think? You might think this is a stretch, but the elements that made this video great, are the same inputs that make any executive memo, consulting deliverable, work product, great.
My advice to junior consultants often looks like this:
- Understand the context
- Dig into the details
- Have a point of view
- Geek out on the topic and let your passion shine a little
- Edit so it’s professional
- Keep the audience engaged, and most of all, tell a story
If only our consulting presentations were this logical, well-edited, persuasive with data, and pointed. I am not a huge basketball fan, yet, I can tell you a lot about the Golden State Warriors after only watching 17min of video:
- How did luck play into the rise of the Golden State champions in 2015, (almost 2016), 2017?
- Why is it highly likely that they will continue this winning streak (as long as not major injuries)?
- What do Bill Simmons and Isaiah Thomas believe is critical for NBA dynasty?
- What were (seemingly) risky moves the Warriors took when trading players, that worked out super well?
Separately, video also incredibly well-edited and fast-paced. If you just want to watch some Stephen Curry ball-handling magic, great to watch. We can probably agree that our consulting presentations (yawn) will never be as exciting as Curry’s behind-the-back-pass.