Don't give advice
I just read an excellent article about consulting by Tom Critchlow, an indy consultant who has good insight into the world of consulting:
This all builds up to my personal consulting mantra: always work on the next most useful thing
This mantra helps remind me that consulting isn’t about being right, it’s about being useful.
As a consultant - it’s crucial that you’re generating momentum, that clients can feel a sense of progress in your work. A consultant is typically an expensive investment and without a sense of progress or momentum your engagement will stall out.
Importantly however, a sense of progress and momentum doesn’t have to come from the official SOW or project plan. Actual progress is one thing - but a sense of progress is just that - it’s about your client feeling like things are moving forward.
When I joined a consulting company, I thought giving advice and solving problems was what consultants do.
However, every time I gave advice, no one took it seriously, and for good reason!
I haven't proven my credibility. I hadn't demonstrated value.
The way to demonstrate value?
Be useful. Get something done that the client appreciates.
Then they'll look to you for advice as time goes on.
So a little piece of advice for you from me (I can't resist): be useful first, then give advice.
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