Don't Make It Tougher

Every consultant knows that there is no perfect project.

We often need to solve complex problems, deal with people of different personalities, and deliver results as fast as possible. Helping our clients get the results they want is a huge challenge - a lot of things we don't control can go wrong.

But you know what we do control? We do control whether or not we make things harder for others.

• Every time you identify an unexpected challenge in your engagements, you can either wait to see if the client notices it or own the outcome that you sold.
• When clients need to change their behavior, you can either lecture and criticize them, or support them to better implement the changes you're requesting.
• When difficult and complex problems come up, you can either say to clients “it can’t be done” or be resourceful and look for creative solutions.

Maybe that’s not on the formal scope of work the client hired. Maybe you have plenty of your own struggles and personal problems to deal with. But as Marcus Aurelius said, "any harm to the bee harms the hive."

It's tough to deliver great consulting work. Don't make it tougher.