Tips for Consultants #1: Understand Why You Are There
Sometimes, as a consultant, the ‘reason’ you are asked to get involved in a project isn’t the real reason. Ever had the experience of getting involved with something, and part of the way through glimpsing an alternate reality where the project, and your role in it, is something different than you thought?
I think this happens all the time. Scratch beneath the surface of a project, and you’ll find another agenda at work. This isn’t merely office politics; it’s human nature. It’s important to understand these alternate agendas – and the bigger, wider, broader, deeper picture – if we are to be effective.
At times this understanding comes to us easily. We think we’ve been engaged to make improvements in a business, and then we realise that we are there because unpleasant changes are afoot, and no one within the business wants to be the architect of something negative. In this instance, it’s good to recognise that we’ll be effective when we are closely associated with something unpleasant – not good for repeat business or for making friends at the coffee machine!
If we are coaches, it’s good to be especially mindful of the subterranean agenda. When I was first getting started, I coached a manager who was struggling to perform well under difficult circumstances. After a while, I realised that despite what the organisation was saying, their behaviour towards me indicated that they expected me to be responsible for the individual’s performance – to use my magical coaching powers to ‘fix’ him. Since I don’t believe people are broken, this presented a major ethical dilemma, which I solved by letting go of both the client and the organisation. This experience taught me to:
- be far more clear from the outset about my professional boundaries
- keep a questioning mind and an alert eye on the organisation, being curious and dispassionate
- be flexible enough to revise my view of reality as the wider agenda reveals itself
Where in your working life are you currently in a consulting role? Why do you believe you’ve been engaged? Are there other possibilities? If so, how do they impact on your ability to be effective?
Tags: business coaching tips, consulting, group dynamics, leadership in business, negativity at work, office politics, problem solving, Tips for Coaches
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About Kate Warren
Kate Warren is the founder of Brightlife. She is a leader in the field of personal and professional development, and is a sought-after speaker, teacher, and coach. Kate is passionate about helping people to unlock their personal and professional potential. She is an NLP Master Practitioner, a Certified NLP Coach, a Master of Group Leadership Dynamics, and the U.K.'s first certified WealthyMind™ trainer. In 2008 her business success was recognised when she was invited to join ‘Courvoisier the Future 500’, an elite group of the 500 rising stars of British business.
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Courvoisier The Future 500 is an exclusive member's network of the country's most innovative business brains and creative talent. Being awarded a place shows dedication and commercial success.