I started my professional life as a business consultant. I worked in lot of projects and get involved in many consulting firms. During that period, I co-worked with people from the big six (now big four) and many other small consultant firms. I have to admit that the big lesson I learnt from the big firms -that generally did not find in the smaller ones- is methodology.

Methodology is a ‘way of doing things’. Is something that was already test by many people and, when they figure that it really work, they write it down in papers and start teaching it. It’s a kind of ’steps’ that everyone has to follow in order to get thing done better.

Even if each of the big consulting firms has their own methodology, the common thing is that they already have it, and their business consultants have to follow it. This is amazing, because it also teach discipline on your daily job.

When planning a business, even an online one, you have to take care of the methodology. You can read many articles, get many advises, but at the end, you should have a methodology of doing things.

Whit the methodology I learnt how to prepare a business plan, even a draft. I learnt about managing difficult customers and how to change not productive meeting. It also helps me when creating a presentation or a university class.

An excellent book I do recommend you for learn about methodology is The McKinsey Way. McKinsey is a big business consultant firm worldwide. It’s also one of the teachers in my professional life. I learnt a lot working with McKinsey people.
The McKinsey Way was first print in 1999 and its content has many lessons that can be applied anytime. From preparing a 3 minutes presentation for the CEO in the elevator to be successful in you job meeting, this book is all about methodology.