What Is a Consulting Collective (and Why We Built TEC This Way)

Over the past few weeks, we’ve quietly opened an Expression of Interest to onboard new practitioners for several projects currently underway. That prompted a recurring question — from both clients and peers in the industry:

Why aren’t you hiring permanent staff, engaging labour hire, or building a bench of fractional roles?

The answer is simple, but often misunderstood.

Because TEC isn’t structured as a traditional consulting firm. It’s a consulting collective — and it has been from the start.

So, what is a consulting collective?

A consulting collective sits between two familiar models:

• the solo consultant, and

• the traditional consultancy.

In a collective:

• practitioners are not employees

• they are not co-founders

• and they are not interchangeable resources waiting on the bench

Instead, they are experienced, independent consultants who choose to come together to solve specific, complex client problems — and then step back into independence when the work is done.

Each practitioner brings their own expertise, reputation, and professional judgement. The collective provides a way to combine that depth when the work demands it, without forcing everyone into a permanent structure that doesn’t fit.

If you like analogies, think The Avengers, but for governance, systems, delivery, and transformation work.

Why this model works for clients

For clients, the biggest benefit of a consulting collective is fit-for-purpose capability.

Rather than staffing projects based on who is available, we assemble teams based on:

• the nature of the problem

• the level of complexity

• the skills and experience actually required

• and the working style that will best suit the organisation

At TEC, we often joke that we have lots of different Pikachus, depending on the project. The core values and ways of working remain consistent, but the mix of skills, experience, and energy changes based on the work's needs.

This means clients get:

• senior, experienced practitioners on meaningful problems

• small, focused teams rather than bloated structures

• continuity of thinking without unnecessary overhead

• and advice that isn’t constrained by internal utilisation targets

In short, the team adapts to the work—not the other way around.

Why this model works for practitioners

For practitioners, the appeal is just as strong.

Solo consulting offers freedom, but it can also be isolating — even when the work is steady and the business is healthy. Some challenges are simply more interesting (and more enjoyable) when tackled with trusted peers.

A consulting collective allows practitioners to:

• work independently, without hierarchy or internal politics

• collaborate with people they respect on meatier, more complex problems

• share clients and delivery responsibility where it adds value

• and maintain autonomy without needing to build a firm, hire staff, or scale for scale’s sake

  
  

In a well-run collective:

• no one pretends everyone is interchangeable

• collaboration is intentional, not forced

• and independence is preserved, not diluted

What a consulting collective is not

It’s equally important to be clear about what this model isn’t.

A consulting collective is:

• not labour hire

• not a pool of permanent staff

• not fractional-by-default

Different engagement models serve different purposes. Choosing the right one matters — and yes, there’s probably an article coming about what to use when (and when not to).

Why TEC chose this path

TEC has operated as a consulting collective for over five years—long before the model had a name and well before it became popular on social media.

What’s changed is not the way we work, but the environment around us. More experienced practitioners are choosing independence. More clients are seeking senior capability without inflated structures. And more people are looking for ways to work together that don’t involve building traditional firms.

This model allows us to meet both needs — thoughtfully, deliberately, and without pretending to be something we’re not.

For clients and practitioners

If you’re a client, a consulting collective offers a way to access the right mix of expertise for your problem — without unnecessary layers.

If you’re an experienced consultant, it offers a way to work independently, but not alone — alongside people who value judgement, curiosity, and good decision-making.

If this approach resonates, our current Expression of Interest remains open.

We’re always interested in connecting with people who want to do good work, with good people, on purpose.