Key Messages
What Does A Consultant Do? Understanding The Role Of Consultants In Business Strategy
If you want to be a top-notch consultant, then you need to understand the skill set and strategies that good consultants employ on every project.
Every day in the United States, businesses in trouble make a call for help – they reach out to the consultants who are often seen as their ‘superheroes.’ Yet it’s important to note that while many people expect consultants to provide quick-fix solutions, they can only advise and teach.
The services of a consultant should be used alongside hard work and dedication if organizations are truly going to achieve successful results.
In order to get the best results, it is critical that consultants practice what they preach and spend time having meaningful conversations while also using meetings wisely – as they can be a powerful tool.
Those following these guidelines will soon discover why top-quality consultants are highly sought after – so don’t forget to hone these strategies whenever you’re taking on new consulting projects!
The Power Of Emotional Intelligence: Why Being Rational Is Not Enough For Effective Consulting
Rationality is often seen as the key to making effective decisions and many managers value this trait over all else.
Unfortunately, relying solely on logic isn’t always the best solution, especially in consultation.
True consultation requires balancing technical and business know-how with understanding and consideration for the emotional and interpersonal dynamics of a situation.
This is proved in real world places such as hospitals, where multiple doctors and specialists provide care for one patient.
While there may be database software to help streamline operations, it will only work if everyone involved can adjust to this new technology on a personal level.
Focusing too much on being logical and calculating can lead us to overlook important clues that can help us get closer to solving a problem – such as our own emotional responses.
Having realized this dynamic between management and employees, a consultant has both data points with which they can address issues of communication and build better teams.
At the end of the day, rationality is still important but when consulting it’s pivotal that enough time is taken to consider more than just numbers and analysis – attending to emotional issues too may help uncover potential solutions that would otherwise never be found!
For Consultants, Practicing What You Preach Is The Key To Efficiency
If you’re a consultant, it’s important to remember that the most important asset you bring to the table is not power, but your advice.
In order to effectively advise and motivate people to implement new ideas, top consultants must not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk.
It’s essential for gaining acceptance with clients and inspiring others to follow suit.
For instance, if you were giving advice about how flat hierarchies can increase productivity while countering a traditionalist line manager who believes employees should do as they are told without question, your clients would be immediately turned off if you hypocritically respond “Do as you’re told.
I’m getting a lot of money from your CEO and he wants things done MY way!”.
You wouldn’t have been authentic in sharing what you actually believe and this lack of integrity would be quickly noticed by those around you.
Instead, a better approach might be showing understanding for their perspective while also demonstrating how your own beliefs could have already taken their views into consideration when coming up with solutions or innovative concepts.
In this way, not only will people learn from what we say but more importantly, from the lessons we’ve learned through our own experience so that others can benefit too!
The Importance Of Managers And Consultants Collaborating To Solve Problems
When hiring a consultant, it’s important to remember that they are independent advisors.
They bring with them different perspectives and can provide objectivity when it comes to understanding and solving complex problems.
It’s also important to remember that their role is not to act as a surrogate manager, but rather their expertise is best used in helping the internal manager devise solutions.
For example, if your company has an issue that you as a manager can’t solve on your own, it might be tempting to hire a consultant who will swoop in and ‘fix’ the problem without teaching anyone anything.
But this approach won’t help you in the long-term; once the consultant leaves, there will be no one around with the knowledge or experience of how to handle similar problems in the future.
A skilled consultant should understand this distinction and focus on diagnosing the underlying cause of a problem objectively and helping managers devise appropriate solutions.
Take for example Company A, who was experiencing high trainee turnover rates; instead of merely increasing salaries or constructing an affordable apartment complex, their hired consultant correctly realized that unsatisfactory company culture was at the root oftrainees leaving.
By relying on her independent expertise, she was able to help Company A solve its issues much more effectively and efficiently than if they had attempted to do so alone!
Winning People’S Confidence: Understanding The Essential Steps Of Consulting
When attempting to solve a company’s problem, it’s important to take each job one step at a time.
This means tackling the assignment in a series of stages before a successful solution is discovered.
The first stage is the contracting phase, and it’s where expectations are discussed and set between the consultant and their client.
By discussing mutual expectations, both parties will know the boundaries of the project, which can help ease any fears that the consultant will control too much of the company.
Next comes discovery and data collection, during which consultants will conduct an extensive analysis of the business—even if on the surface the issue appears trivial.
What needs to be examined may vary from situation to situation; for example you might look at balance sheets or management-employee communication (or all of these).
How To Deal With Resistance When Consulting: Openly Discuss Feelings And Explain Your Process
When it comes to consulting, it’s important to remember that resistance is a natural response.
People can be intimidated by change, and you can expect some degree of opposition when trying to introduce new ideas or policies.
You may find yourself being asked the same question numerous times, or even a complete lack of eye contact.
All of these are potential signs that your client is resisting what you have suggested.
The key is to deal with this resistance openly and directly.
Using neutral language helps create an opening for the client to respond more honestly and openly.
Asking them questions such as, “I’m sensing that you doubt my judgment.
Do you have the feeling that my research wasn’t thorough enough?” gives them room to state their doubts and fears, helping both parties better understand each other in the process.
In the end, it’s important to keep in mind that resistance is normal when introducing changes through consulting work – but if you handle it in a thoughtful and open manner then there should be no reason why progress cannot be made together!
The Power Of Communication: Using Conversation To Effectively Consult Clients
When it comes to consulting, having good ideas isn’t enough.
You need to be able to effectively communicate those ideas, and that means creating space for people to share their fears.
You can do this in both private one-on-one meetings, as well as larger public group meetings.
Let’s say you have an idea, such as implementing a new software system at a client’s company.
In order for this idea to be successful, it’s important not only to explain the logic behind your solution but also create room for people to discuss their fears and doubts about the proposed change.
This may manifest itself in private conversations with individual staffers, or during open discussion forums with multiple people taking part.
In an open forum setting, encouraging questions and dialogue helps build trust among participants.
It shows that everyone is heard and taken into account, while helping provide valuable insights which can inform your consulting plan of action even further.
The Secret To Success As A Consultant: Teach Companies How Not To Need You
A great consultant knows the importance of teaching their client how to do things on their own.
By instructing the staff and managers on how to handle problems independently, the consultant can ensure that their work lasts beyond just a short-term engagement.
Consider this example: A company was in need of a consultant, and they decided to reach out to a colleague with experience in consulting.
They discussed various processes and ideas, but failed to involve the staff in all of these changes.
Once the consultant left, there was no one who knew how to follow all of these processes – defeatsing the whole purpose!
To truly have an impact with your consultation, you must interact with everyone from top management down to staff members – convincing them to believe in your vision for change.
If employees don’t understand or agree with it, then your legacy will be nullified.
Wrap Up
The key takeaway from the book Flawless Consulting is that consulting is about teaching clients to solve problems independently with a deeper understanding of their business.
In order to do this, a consultant should objectively analyze a company, work with its existing management structure, and help implement lasting change.
At the end of it all, the idea is for clients to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to take on future challenges and thrive in their working environment with confidence.
By helping companies build true self-governance, consultants can have a lasting impact on them for many years to come.
