Why a maturity model?

The reason for a maturity model is so simple for me to think about. I've been thinking about it for years. Yet, when I try to write about it, it becomes much more difficult. I'd been writing a book on this topic for about 6 months. I decided to move it to a blog, and in doing so, I need to rethink the content and shape it for a blog.

In my 19 year career, I've worked for several professional services firms and have provided strategic consulting to countless others. I've worked with large, medium, and small firms. I've worked for good ones, and bad ones. I've worked for firms my clients loved, and (very shortly) worked for firms my clients hated.

Over my career, I've made it one of my passions to study the business models of each organization. Identifying what makes them unique, valuable, and trusted. I can tell you that every firm I've been around is very very different.

Eventhough all of these firms have different business models, the most interesting aspect of my studies has shown one unique trait each of these firms share. It is how they all perceive themselves and their business. Consider this, consulting, by its very nature, is arrogant. I mean, our clients hire our consultants because we supposedly know more than they do. So, why shouldn't this innate fact create an arrogance in our industry that no one knows more about the professional services industry than we do? Don't get me wrong, every firm is doing something right... I mean, you couldn't make money if you didn't have a model that works (to some degree). The question becomes then, can we actually mature as an organization? Can we make ourselves more valuable? Can we grow? Can we keep customer satisfaction?

There are a few good books out there that discuss professional services. We've all read "Managing the Professional Service Firm" by David Maister. It's a necessary read for anyone in our industry. But, this book is about the basics. It misses the tactical moves a company needs to understand. It doesn't help us understand how to improve and become more valuable.

The issue with our industry that strikes me the wrong way, which becomes more prevalent as the entire economy revolves around customer-centricity, is how many firms actually have the audacity to believe internally and tell their clients they are a "solutions" firm. We'll talk a whole lot more about this topic in future posts. The truth is, achieving "Solutions" status is one of the pinnacle levels on the maturity curve, but it is also one of the most elusive and expensive levels to achieve. Remember what you say you are and how your customers perceive you can be, and probably is, entirely different.

So, back to the question, "Why a maturity model". That's easy to answer, to mature as a professional services firm, one must answer the question, "What level am I on today"?. The second question a firm should ask is "What can I do today to be better at my current level" and finally, we should ask "What do I need to do (and how much is it going to cost) to climb to the next level on the maturity curve?"

So, now you have basis for my blog "The Professional Services Maturity Model"