The Consulting Mindset: Always Take The Initiative (ATTI)
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I know some people who shy away from consulting because they don’t feel they are confident enough or extroverted enough.
The first problem is a solvable one. You can deliberately build and expand your comfort zone over time. Confidence is less about bravado and more about self-acceptance. That imposter syndrome you experience fades with experience, practice, and success.
The second problem isn’t a problem at all. Extroversion might have some benefits in specific scenarios (big events) but generally doesn’t impact much else. I’d put myself on the more introverted end of the spectrum.
What matters though far more than confidence or extroversion is that you always take the initiative.
The Mental Hurdle You Need To Overcome
I was in my early 20s when I began consulting.
Everyone in every room was older than me - often by a couple of decades. Worse yet, I looked young for my age. People frequently commented on it and it got into my head.
I constantly worried about being seen as a young ‘know it all’ kid.
I overcompensated for this by acting meek and subservient around clients.
I always waited to be asked for my opinion, rarely contradicted or interrupted clients, sat in the least visible place in meetings, and waited for clients to tell me what they needed (or even asked them what to do). I was showing up to meetings and waiting for clients to ask me questions!
I carried my insecurities into every meeting and projected them onto clients around me. It wasn’t fair to me and it wasn’t fair to my clients. It prevented me from doing the critical thing a consultant should do; always take the initiative.
What Does It Mean To Take The Initiative?
Taking the initiative means you take the initiative at every conceivable opportunity. You are the consultant leading the charge. You know the destination you want to get to and what’s required to get there. That’s why you’re in the room.
Sometimes it’s minor things - other times it’s really important things.
In practice, it means:
You propose the next meeting.
You create and share the agenda.
You suggest the next steps.
You ask the questions.
You lead the discussion.
You jump in when you have relevant information to share.
You suggest solutions.
You highlight further reading.
You identify the kinds of stakeholders you want to speak to.
You follow up when you don’t get a response.
Any time you have the opportunity to take the initiative, take it.
The Benefits of Always Taking The Initiative
There are several obvious benefits to taking the benefits.
It helps clients. Your client has dozens of things to think about today besides your project. You can significantly reduce the mental load for clients by always proactively telling them what needs to be done next and by whom. The more you can reduce the mental load for clients, the better.
It leads to better outcomes. When you take the initiative, you can exercise more control over the process. This should lead to better outcomes because you have more experience than the client in your process, leading to better outcomes. The more it resembles what you’ve done in the past, the more you will get the results you’ve achieved in the past. Better yet, when you take the initiative you are always driving the project forward against other conflicting priorities. It’s your job to make your project a priority.
It projects the right image. A consultant waiting for someone else to decide the next steps isn’t considered a great value add to the project. It might simply project an air of laziness and disinterest. Also, it might simply show you lack the confidence or experience to take the initiative.
The more you take the initiative, the more you will get the results you want.
Never Ask Clients What You Should Do
One of the most dangerous questions a consultant can ask is:
“What do you want me to do?”
Because the response might be
“Nothing”
Projects can quickly be stalled for days, weeks, months, or cancelled altogether simply because a consultant doesn’t specifically state the next steps.
Don’t ask clients what you should do, tell them what you should do and what’s needed from them. This makes everything easier for everyone.
There should never be any confusion about the next steps or who is working on what because you should be driving the process.
If you’re not driving it forward, there’s a good chance you’re not going to reach the finish line.
Lead The Conversation
Taking the initiative doesn’t mean you have to dominate the conversation.
It doesn’t mean you have to talk over others, reject the opinions of others, or refuse to accept any opinions that aren’t yours. That simply reveals a very different sort of insecurity.
But it does mean you need to lead the conversation.
You should set the agenda, create the context, ask the questions, listen to the responses, share your opinions, and bring in the opinions of others sitting around the table who might not be contributing much.
I’d also suggest, whenever you enter a room, to lead a client session, you sit at the head of the table. If that’s not possible, sit in the centre. Don’t sit meekly in the corner or to one side. Take your rightful place in the centre of the room. That’s where you’re meant to be. It’s awkward if you sit to one side in a meeting that’s been created for you.
No one would be in the room if you weren’t there, it’s your meeting!
Likewise, whether on Zoom calls or in person, you should kick things off. The worst thing you can do is look awkwardly at your host and ask: “so, umm, do you want to lead this or shall I?”
Far better to say; “ok, let’s get started, thanks for joining everyone. I’m excited to be working with you. Here’s what I want to make sure we cover today…”
Forcing The Decision: Presenting Options and Recommendations
Another common trap is asking clients questions to which they expect you to give them the answers.
For example:
Consultant - “What do you want to measure?”
Client - “We don’t know, what do you think we should measure”
Consultant - “Well that depends on your goals, but there are different ways to measure your goals”
Client - “We’re not sure what our goals are, what do you think they should be?”
This is painful enough in a video conversation, it’s atrocious when it’s by an exchange of emails.
It’s fine to ask clients questions about which direction they want to go - but you should always have a recommendation if they aren’t sure.
It’s also worth knowing that often the client doesn’t know how to make a decision in fields where they lack expertise - often the very fields they bring a consultant in to help.
It’s important to know that everybody fears making the wrong decision - especially one which can come back to haunt them later. Imagine if someone asks you if you a project should be hosted on AWS, Oracle, Google Cloud, or Azure?
It sounds like a really important decision, but unless you have deep expertise in each, you have no idea how to make the decision. But if someone you trust shares the pros and cons of each and makes a recommendation, it’s easier to say yes.
Aside: An unacknowledged value a consultant brings to a project is someone to blame if it goes wrong.
This is how the above conversation should have gone:
Consultant - “Based on what we’ve learned so far, especially [x], [y], and [z], I think there are there ways to measure the goals of this project.
These methods are [method 1], [method 2], [and method 3].
I’d recommend using [method 3] because it’s quick, flexible, and doesn’t require a significant cost. However, it does mean it will show a change in attitudes vs. dollar value return.
Can you let me know by the end of the week if that’s ok with you? We can begin this next week and stay on track with the project.”
The difference now is you’re not asking the client questions that they might not have the expertise to answer. Instead, you’ve taken the initiative and you’re proving them with options. Better yet, you’re showing the pros and cons of each option and your recommendation based on assumptions you’ve made.
You’ve made it easy for the client to say ‘yes’ (or select a different option based on a better understanding of the trade-offs).
Always Seize The Initiative
It’s not easy to be comfortable seizing the initiative if you’re new to consulting or still don’t feel fully confident in your abilities. But that’s precisely why it’s important to do it. It’s not fair to leave it up to clients to take the initiative on the projects they’ve brought you in to help.
The more you do this, the more you will become comfortable doing it. Better yet, the more you will realise clients appreciate it.