Consulting 101 – Communication is key to success

Although I’ve been consulting for years (decades, actually), each project is really a new world to navigate. For the consultant, it’s about new clients (and their personalities), a new business culture, and new business drivers. At the same time, the client is finding their world suddenly populated by strangers (consultants….and their personalities) speaking a strange new language (what exactly is PeopleSoft?) and telling them change is on the way. So, even as I’m feeling my way cautiously through the new environment, paradoxically, I’m viewed as the native guide and translator by the client.

Obviously, this situation is fraught with potential missteps and misunderstandings—-much like a visit to a foreign country where you don’t speak the language. “Where is the…..?” “Why do you do….?”

When I start a new project, I always take time to reflect on what I can do to gain trust so I can deliver value. As I review the steps I’ve learned are required to be a successful consultant, I’m struck once again by how they all boil down to communication:

• Listen to the client’s needs
• Clarify the business requirements across the organization
• Empathize with their concerns
• Encourage active participation through open discussions
• Clearly state my point of view
• Ask open-ended questions
• Freely share my knowledge
• Document our (i.e. joint) decisions

Maintain your focus on communication and it will help you and the client successfully navigate through the project.