The Secrets of Consulting

Key Takeaways

1. Consulting is challenging: Navigate paradoxes and client resistance

The child who receives a hammer for Christmas will discover that everything needs pounding.

Embrace paradox. Consultants often face contradictions and must learn to be comfortable with ambiguity. They must balance being rational with being reasonable, and understand that clients may not always want what they say they want.

Manage resistance. Clients often resist change, even when they've hired a consultant to help implement it. Effective consultants learn to:

• Appreciate resistance as a natural part of the process
• Get resistance out in the open
• Name resistance in a neutral way
• Work with clients to discover the source of resistance

Apply the Buffalo Bridle principle. Remember that you can't force clients to change; instead, create conditions where they want to change:

• "You can make buffalo go anywhere, just so long as they want to go there."
• "You can keep buffalo out of anywhere, just so long as they don't want to go there."

2. Effective consultants see beyond the obvious and listen to the unspoken

Words are often useful, but it always pays to listen to the music (especially your own internal music).

Develop keen observation skills. Look for what's not there as well as what is. Pay attention to non-verbal cues, inconsistencies, and patterns that may reveal underlying issues.

Listen actively. Focus on:

• The content of what's being said
• The tone and emotion behind the words
• What's not being said

Use tools to uncover hidden information:

• The Orange Juice Test: Ask clients how they would handle a challenging but hypothetical situation
• The Rule of Three: If you can't think of three things that might go wrong with your plans, there's something wrong with your thinking
• The Incongruence Insight: When words and body language don't match, they point to a missing element

3. Amplify impact through small interventions and jiggling stuck systems

Less is more.

Understand the power of small changes. Sometimes, a tiny modification in the client's way of seeing the world can lead to significant improvements.

Act as a jiggler. Help "unstick" systems that have become too smooth and predictable:

• Introduce unpredictability in a non-threatening way
• Facilitate connections between different parts of the organization
• Ask questions that challenge assumptions

Follow the Law of the Jiggle:

• Make minimal interventions
• Allow the client's system to do most of the work
• Avoid becoming too closely associated with the organization's typical modes of thinking

4. Manage change carefully: Understand resistance and implement gradually

It may look like a crisis, but it's only the end of an illusion.

Recognize the nature of change. People often resist change because they're trying to preserve what they value most. Understand that what looks like a crisis may simply be the end of an illusion.

Implement change gradually. Follow these principles:

• The Edsel Edict: If you must have something new, take one, not two
• The Volkswagen Verity: If you can't refuse it, defuse it
• The Time Bomb: The surest way to waste time is to throw caution to the winds

Provide safeguards:

• Accept that failure is inevitable and plan for it
• Create backup systems
• Allow for practice runs and gradual implementation

5. Market for quality, not quantity: Build trust and set appropriate fees

Market for quality, not quantity.

Focus on building long-term relationships. Rather than constantly seeking new clients, prioritize delivering high-quality work to existing clients.

Apply the laws of marketing:

1. A consultant can exist in one of two states: State I (idle) or State B (busy)
2. The best way to get clients is to have clients
3. Spend at least one day a week getting exposure
4. Never let a single client have more than one-fourth of your business
5. The best marketing tool is a satisfied client

Balance your time:

• Spend 25% on marketing and exposure
• Allocate 25% to "slack" time for personal development and unexpected opportunities
• Devote 50% to billable work

6. Price your services strategically: Consider value beyond monetary exchange

Pricing has many functions, only one of which is the exchange of money.

Understand the psychology of pricing. Remember that:

• The more they pay you, the more they love you
• The less they pay you, the less they respect you

Consider alternative forms of compensation:

• Professional development opportunities
• Access to specialized resources or information
• Networking opportunities
• Travel or cultural experiences

Apply the Principle of Least Regret: Set your price so you won't regret it either way – whether the client accepts or rejects your offer.

Remember: All prices are ultimately based on feelings, both yours and theirs. Consider not just the monetary value, but also how the price affects your relationship with the client and your own sense of worth.

7. Cultivate trust: The foundation of successful consulting relationships

Trust takes years to win, moments to lose.

Prioritize trustworthiness. Clients need to feel that you are reliable in both integrity and ability. Remember:

• Nobody but you cares about the reason you let another person down
• People don't tell you when they stop trusting you

Demonstrate reliability consistently:

• Keep commitments, no matter how small
• Communicate clearly and honestly
• Listen actively and ensure you understand client expectations

Rebuild trust when necessary:

• Acknowledge mistakes quickly and openly
• Take responsibility without making excuses
• Demonstrate through actions, not words, that you've learned and improved

Last updated: January 24, 2025

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