Re-post: retweeting the best post of 2010 till Jan 10th
Re-post: retweetiamo i migliori articoli dei primi mesi, fino al 10 gennaio riproposta dei post più interessanti
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Last post received unexpected interest. Not that I believe I’m writing something stupid. But I was personally surprised by the number of retweets and comments I got.
Good news then. So… let’s do it again.
So I decided to post a second text on this subjects. I think we all love this title: being a consultant is a nice job. At least in theory. Training consultants teach salesmen to be consultants, which usually is interpreted as “ask questions instead of push products”. Which is good, but not exactly the job of a consultant.
Actually what does it mean to be a consultant? Solprovider, a blogger who apparently does not like to give more information about himself, offers a straight answer to my question affirming that a consultant is someone who provides a vision.
I like that.
I truly believe this is the added value of a consultant: helping clients to see from a different point of view his situation so to break the trap of the habits and make a paradigm shift, a radical change that can provide new insight and new solutions. That’s the approach of Goldratt Consulting.
My question is: is that what clients look for? In my country, Italy, my experience is quite different. The entrepreneur’s typical approach is to sustain stability. Which does not mean work to build a solid longlasting company, it usually means do not touch anything, let’s protect the present situation. “I know my job guy, I’ve been in this business since I was I child, and my father and my grandpa before me. Now you came along and claim you can help me turn the company around? Don’t be silly. Do you want to work with me? Say quite and say yes and we will go together”.
This provocation is obviously harsh and over-shouted. But it’s the main reason why consultants fear to truly provide vision or, as Lencioni suggests, always consult instead of sell, always give away solutions and visions instead of telling what they could do when hired.
That’s the consultant dilemma: which is the true value I can provide to my clients and will I have clients if I try to give them the most valuable stuff I can share: a different vision?
What do you think about?
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