For your amusement

We associate him with gravity and optics, the foremost thinker of the English enlightenment and one of the greatest scientists ever. But it’s a little known fact (beautifully narrated by Thomas Levenson's book Newton and the Counterfeiter), that, wearing his other hat (although wig might be more accurate in the context of the 17th century), Newton was Warden of the Royal Mint.

“Scrooge!” The voice was less terrifying than he’d been expecting, more posh and nasal. Scrooge lowered the blanket: a dimly transparent figure stood at the end of the bed, grey hair, grey suit, navy tie, dazzling white shirt. It was holding an attaché case in one hand and a business card in the other.

“I’m the Consultant of Christmas Past.” The figure looked at its watch. “I’ll be back in a few minutes with my report.”

The MCA’s ‘Are you worth your weight in gold?’ campaign for the 2011 industry awards has struck a chord with me. At a time when the value that consultants deliver is coming under increasing scrutiny it seems like a really appropriate question for the industry to ask itself. It’s also a nice reminder that – now more than ever – clients are looking for something more than standardised process and methodologies from consulting firms to help them solve their problems.