We just recently moved our editorial offices out of New York City and across the river to Newark, N.J. Even though Consulting magazine still maintains a midtown Manhattan location that I'll be working at from time to time, the majority of the editorial work will take place at the New Jersey office, which happens to be about a 25-minute door-to-door drive from my home. After four years of a 75-minute commute (on a good day) and two small children at home, this, of course, is very welcome news. But here's the problem: I could still take the train to the Newark office in about 50 minutes, a significantly shorter commute than I was used to. I did this for about a week before I realized how much time I could save by driving. I consider myself an environmentally conscious person, and I really enjoyed the fact that my daily commute had minimal impact on the environment. (I even walked to the train station in my town.) But faced with the prospect of a commute that clocks in under a half hour, I just couldn't pass up what driving would mean to my quality of life. When push came to shove, I chose the path of least resistance for me, not the one that would help save the planet for future generations.
I'm not the only one, by the way, who feels this struggle right now. This paradox is prevalent with consumers and the sustainability movement. As Marc Epstein, author of Making Sustainability Work: Best Practices in Managing and Measuring Corporate, Social, Environmental and Economic Impacts, points out, what consumers say and what they do when it comes to sustainability are often at odds. This, of course, can be frustrating for retailers.
What is certain, however, is that sustainability is hot. As client demand increases, the opportunities are ripe for consulting firms that are properly positioned to take advantage of pent-up demand. In our cover story, Seeing Green, we dig a little deeper: What firms are ahead of the curve when it comes to sustainability? Should all firms go to market with a dedicated sustainability practice? Where in the world are the best opportunities for firms? That story begins on page 16.
Another area that's booming is IT consulting. As Eric Krell reports in The New Tech Boom, the secret for firms is distinguishing between commodity and strategy. The skill most missing, experts say, is business savvy. That story begins on page 22.
And as always, let us know what you think. Consulting magazine welcomes your thoughts and values your feedback.
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