Six ways to be great at consulting
Expertise is not the only expectation when working for a client’s project. One has to be good at consulting besides fulfilling the role specific expectations. At Thoughtworks, I have learnt from peers and by general practice on how one can be great at consulting. I am sharing my key pointers in this blog.
To be a great consultant, you have to keep in mind the following aspects:
Develop client empathy
A great consultant always remembers that their goal is to make the client successful. Put the client’s interests above yours and do not have a tint of arrogance. Don’t just solve problems for the client. Connect with them. Understand where the client comes from, why they ask for something and what they want to achieve. Strive for a win-win situation with the client consistently.
Be open-minded
A great consultant influences the client by having an open mind to be influenced by them. Engage with the problem before jumping to solutions. Listen to what the client says. Also, listen to what is not said explicitly.
Be authentic
A great consultant does not keep back from expressing their concerns. Understand that you have to take risk to build trust with the client. Stay focused on the client relationship. Since you empathize with the client, land a hard message softly.
Effective communication
A great consultant practices active listening. Listen without judgement. Ask the right questions to make sure you understand correctly. Articulate and express your thoughts clearly. Also, focus on the non verbal communication traits like body language and tone of the words.
Courage
A great consultant has the courage to be vulnerable. Be ready to be flexible and do not stick to your mental models strongly. This does not imply that you are okay to forgo the best practices or the right way of doing things. What it rather means is that you are ready to look beyond your personal bubble of thoughts and values. Travel alongside the client in their journey towards achieving the goals.
Transparency
Trust is very important for any client relationship. To build the trust, a great consultant is always transparent to the client. Share everything that has to be known to the client. One might worry that sharing any issues or setbacks could bring up friction in the client relationship. However, I have witnessed in many cases that the client acknowledges the transparency and they also try to support on resolving them. That’s the value building trust with transparency can bring to the table. On the flip side, if a consultant keeps back from sharing setbacks till they blow up, they not only impede the project but also fracture the client’s trust leading to serious implications in client relationship and the overall future of the project.
Truly, it’s easier said than done. Many a times, one might not be able to stick to these aspects just by knowing them. So, you have to be mindful about practicing them till you become accustomed to them. And once you are doing it effectively, you become great at consulting.
Thanks for reading!
