Given the magnitude of potential policy and legislative changes looming on the horizon, the next 11 months are going to be an absolute boon to most companies and their consulting partners. Unless, of course, those changes never materialize because they are trumped by legislative gridlock, geopolitical strife and a fear-inducing cocktail of uncertainty and volatility. In this scenario, 2017 could be a historic bust.
A third possible future seems more likely to occur: The same technological, economic, geopolitical and environmental drivers of risk and opportunity that influenced businesses in 2016 are likely to continue to drive companies to seek help from their consulting partners in 2017. Depending on the extent to which President Trump's policy intentions (at least what was known of them at press time) materialize, these existing drivers of change will be joined by a new set of disruptions, including deregulation, infrastructure spending, and U.S. trade and immigration changes.