In this episode of The Consultant’s Way Podcast, Dean McMann and Anthony Paluska sit down with Jim DeCristofaro, VP of Professional Services at Aptitude Software, to talk about the growing pressure on consulting teams to evolve—and fast. Jim shares how onboarding has fundamentally changed in a hybrid world, especially for junior consultants who no longer benefit from the passive learning and informal exposure that came with in-person client work.

He explains why “learning through osmosis” is fading and why today’s PS leaders need to be far more intentional with mentorship, training structures, and expectations from day one. The conversation also dives into the rising need for business acumen across all levels of the PS team. Jim breaks down how expectations have shifted. It is no longer enough to simply deliver on the scope. Every consultant is expected to build relationships, understand the client’s broader business, and act as a trusted advisor—regardless of title.

The trio also explores how relationship-building impacts sales and delivery when budget ownership shifts from IT to finance. Jim explains how services teams need to position their value differently for each stakeholder and build credibility across both sides of the house.

Finally, they dig into the compression of timelines and ROI expectations. Clients want faster returns, clearer value, and tighter scopes—which often means shorter projects that are easier to sell but harder to optimize. Jim leaves listeners with a clear takeaway. Success in professional services today depends on leading with intention, not reacting to chaos. Teams need to be proactive in their training, deliberate in how they build relationships, and strategic in how they show value.