The fourth Top Tip from our veteran consultant panel on Best Practices to Grow Your Consulting Business, “If I Only Knew Then What I Know Now” was to
Stretch Yourself
It’s important to continue to morph and evolve as the marketplace, clients and prospective clients are always changing. This often means getting uncomfortable, and usually pushing beyond our comfort zone. This is when we truly grow and make substantive changes.
Don’t feel you have to do this alone. Seek the help of someone who is expertly doing what you want to do. In other cases, a coach might be a great resource. Find the coach who is right for you for that moment in time or that issue or capability you want to evolve.
Be adaptable in how you stretch yourself. No one size fits all.
Please share some of the ways you’ve stretched yourself with great outcomes. I’d love to hear your success stories. They’ll inspire others to get uncomfortable and push beyond their comfort zones.
When I took on a very large project several years ago that I couldn’t possibly do all by myself, I learned to lean hard on my team. And they performed beautifully and brought ideas and resources I didn’t have to make for a great outcome for the client!
the number of times I have said that “if I knew then what I know now” phrase. Great article Debourah. And the market always changes and you have to keep up with it.
In talking further with my fellow Best Practices panelist (that initiated this series of tips), Norma Watenpaugh of Phoenix Consulting Group, Norma pointed out that in the consulting business it is important to stretch and challenge yourself. In order for clients to perceive you as a trusted adviser, you need to keep a step ahead. Keep up with industry trends and best practices in your area of expertise.
Norma does this through volunteering in the professional association related to her area of expertise, the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals. She led the best practices committee for the organization for the past 10 years, leading a team of acknowledged experts in creating professional certification exams, updating the body of knowledge for alliance management best practices in contributing to a British Standard for Collaborative Business Relationships which is progressing to an ISO standard.
Norma also volunteered with the Association of Strategy Professionals to help develop their strategy — in her effort to increase her expertise in this area. She figured what better way to learn strategy development than in the company of experts!
In talking with fellow Best Practices panelist, Jan Robertson, she mentioned that it goes without saying that volunteering in business organizations related to your industry is a good idea. Jan has also found that volunteering in organizations that are not specifically business-related – such as music, the arts and charities – can be beneficial too. If you are passionate about a cause, you can make connections with kindred souls. It’s all about relationships. Business referrals can come from some surprising sources, and if people like and trust you, they will refer business.
Hi, Deborah Siegle thanks for sharing very useful information. Really business consultants help us to build our business successful and give us right direction.