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[Join In!] 4th Intergalactic Consulting Haiku Contest

It’s holiday time…
Set aside your consulting.
Let’s play with Haiku!

(For those who don’t know…
Haiku: three lines; syllables:
five, seven then five.)

A new prospect calls.
Excited, we ask questions
then quote a high fee.

One more week gone, and
the proposal isn’t signed
Send one more email?

Hooray, they said yes!
Let’s review the task timeline.
Uh oh. We owe what?!

Few on-site visits.
Now, we Zoom. We wear dress shirts
over pajamas.

The client requests
an extra analysis.
More work? Aaack. Scope creep.

Stakeholders gather,
Eyes sharp, awaiting answers.
Calm precedes the storm.

Late-night deck edits,
Each word measure for impact.
Value never rests.

Our report, page 12,
the client hears what they want.
Now they are happy.

Presentation done,
at last this job is finished.
Where’s the next project?

Other consultants
need a respite from their toil.
Post your clever verse.


20 Comments
  1. Tomaz Vidonja
    December 18, 2024 at 7:23 am Reply

    Magic pill in hand
    Consultants wave their wands
    “Feel better my friend! “

    • David A. Fields
      December 18, 2024 at 8:34 am Reply

      Funny. That’s a good one, Tomaž!

      (Bonus points for using the Southern American pronunciation of “wands” to stretch it to two syllables. 😉)

      Thanks you for kicking off this year’s festivities. Last year 17 folks joined in. I wonder if any more will be as brave as you this year.

      • Tomaž Vidonja
        December 18, 2024 at 8:37 am Reply

        Thank you, David for your support and sparkling ideas in 2024.

        16 to go. 🙂

      • Alan D Walker
        December 18, 2024 at 3:47 pm Reply

        ChatGPT asked if I would kindly submit its entries on its behalf:

        Guidance through the maze,
        Solutions bloom where doubt stood,
        Change whispers success.

        Numbers tell the tale,
        Strategy shapes the future,
        Clarity revealed.

        Boardroom tension hums,
        Silent charts speak louder still,
        Decisions take root.

        Bridges built from trust,
        Through chaos, plans emerge whole,
        Vision guides the way.

        Wisdom trades for time,
        Processes sharpened anew,
        Efficiency reigns.

        • David A. Fields
          December 18, 2024 at 9:18 pm

          ChatGPT is getting better at counting syllables. I prefer the human-generated stanzas; however, credit to word prediction algorithms!

          Thanks for contributing the verses, Alan!

  2. Jeff
    December 18, 2024 at 12:01 pm Reply

    Eureka! The spark—
    A path unfolds, steps align,
    Improvement breathes in.

    Your friction cuts deep,
    Costs carve lines into the map,
    Ease is wealth reborn.

    Your value, our thread,
    Woven into every choice,
    Bound by shared meaning.

    • David A. Fields
      December 18, 2024 at 2:00 pm Reply

      Dang, Jeff, that’s high-power haikuing! Thanks for playing along!

  3. Daniel Lattimore
    December 18, 2024 at 1:41 pm Reply

    Thanks, David A. Fields!
    The book was very helpful.
    /This/ consultant’s creed:

    Keep Moving Forward
    Time is a commodity
    We cannot get back

    • Monica Kakkar
      December 23, 2024 at 1:25 am Reply

      Dear Mr. Fields,

      I appreciate the opportunity to submit haiku for the 4th Intergalactic Consulting Haiku Contest. Congratulations to all participants!

      I wish you peace and happiness in the new year. Happy holidays!

      Thank you for your consideration. Best wishes.

      Sincerely,

      Monica Kakkar (she/her/hers)

      • David A. Fields
        December 23, 2024 at 8:38 am Reply

        All good, Monica. It’s just for fun!

  4. Carol Ornstein
    December 18, 2024 at 4:01 pm Reply

    The phone does not ring
    I sit, wait, hope for business
    Then, an idea!

    Get up from my chair
    Focus and get creative
    Hone my offerings

    What do clients need?
    How can I help them succeed?
    Make it about them

    Happy energy
    Repeat business from clients
    It is a win-win!

    • David A. Fields
      December 18, 2024 at 9:19 pm Reply

      Four absolutely outstanding additions, Carol. Love the story. Well done!!

  5. Praveen Puri
    December 18, 2024 at 6:43 pm Reply

    Consulting goes with
    the ancient art of haiku:
    two sides, yin and yang

    • David A. Fields
      December 18, 2024 at 9:23 pm Reply

      Nice one, Praveen. Bonus points for including consulting and haiku in the verse itself! Thanks for playing along.

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