Mechanics’ Motto
Saw this sign at the car mechanic shop where I change my oil. It covered an entire wall. It was about 10 feet tall. Big talk on a big wall. If this is the standard that the mechanic holds for themselves, shouldn’t it be the minimum standard for consultants who are billing at $250-$500 an hour? Look and you tell me. . .
Of course. It starts with this this. If you are somehow billing extra hours, sneakily removing data points in the data set, you are cheating the client. It’s a fool’s errand. You are poisoning the well you are drinking from.
Clients are not looking at all the formulas in your excel. They cannot do a forensic review of all your math. So, they are trusting you to do right by them. Even if no one knows, you will know. Be a professional.
2. Friendliness
Yes. Oddly, this counts more than you might think. The majority of projects require some change management (read: getting people to change, do something potentially uncomfortable), and therefore, consultants need to be persuasive, likable, and worthy of listening to. When people like / trust / believe us, they will give us a chance to build a case, persuade and lead them. You have to be likable.
3. Pride of workmanship
Yes. Your work is a calling card. It’s your face. Remember, your best future client is your current client. It’s crazy important that you take pride in your work, take massive accountability for it. It’s your job to worry about the client’s problem, more than they do. I remember when one partner told the client, “Yes, I know we’re not the cheapest option, but you want consultants who think about your problems on the weekend.” (hat tip: JK)
4. Trust, honesty, respect
It’s a relationship business. I have met a few partners who have built their entire career on 1-2 key successful client relationship. Trust is built up over time. Honesty = well, you gotta prove that one. Respect, talk about a long game. As Amazon’s Bezos says, “All overnight success takes about 10 years.”
5. Teamwork
No question. Our clients solve the easy problems themselves. Why pay $300/hour for easy-to-fix tweaks? Naw, they save the good, messy, cross-functional, hairy problems for us. This require a fair amount of teaming among consultants and also with clients.
6. Quality
This is probably the most over-used work in professional services. Quality is defined by the customer. Fini. Not only do we need to do great work, the client needs to see it that way. Satisfaction = perception – expectations.
7. Continuous improvement
This surprised me, but I like to see it. No process is perfect, and this hunt for areas of improvement is useful, dynamic, fun, and profitable. Lean / six-sigma forever. This is bread-and-butter DMAIC process for consultants.
Aren’t we all some type of consultant?
This makes me reflect on the idea that we are all in the services business. Our clients need help. Sometimes they don’t exactly know what the car is making the noise. They are trusting us to “look under the hood” and explain things to them simply. They are naturally a little fearful that we will talk down to them, or up-sell them because we have some information advantage on them.
Are we brave enough to put this on our wall?
Metaphorically, are you willing to put some of your core values and client promises on a 10 ft wall? For me, probably not. I’d be too afraid to be hypocritical or want to put a * asterixis by it. . .
“Our intention and outlined within the scope of work.” Yes, it’s cowardly, so perhaps we all need to step up and be as confident in our work, process, and relationships to say what we stand for, more loudly.