4 Qualities That Make You a Better Consultant

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Consultants, in the beginning of their career, often get bombarded with a lot of free advice from peers or seniors. Some of the common ones include tips to handle clients, staying updated about the respective domain of expertise, being receptive to new opportunities and other dos and don'ts of the consulting business. While all these are good pieces of advise, there are a few more important qualities that may not be very obvious especially when you are a beginner.

Be flexible 
One of the biggest clients I ever worked with once told me, "the one big reason why we work with you (the firm) is the flexibility that you provide". There is no shortage of talent in the market. There are good people on every consulting firm's team but the one important quality that clients appreciate, often unknowingly, is flexibility.

Being flexible does not mean sharing reports with your clients without going through a review process or doing any kind of out of scope work for the client. You need to do small things right to be flexible. Simply following up with concerned stakeholders on behalf of your client (even though its not your job) to speed up things or presenting your work in a way that makes your client (the people you deal with) look good in front of their peers or bosses.  

This advise may not apply to every single situation you face as a consultant but the point that I am trying to drive home is that clients are ultimately people and people like other people who help them do their job.

Promote yourself
Think of that guy in your team who talks about his work as is he is the heart and soul of the project but his real and relevant contribution to the execution tells a different story. These verbal superstars often get active in company of the top bosses or peers who may not have direct visibility over the execution.

Like it or not these self promoting  type of people taste success faster than the rest. In large consulting firms the fast paced environment and the sheer size of the teams do not allow the decision makers to monitor individuals and frankly speaking, they don't even have the time. Self promotion is important because if you hide your accomplishments they will stay hidden. In my short consulting career I have worked with several people who are exceptional at work but are too modest to take the credit. It never hurts to do a little bit of self-promotion provided you know what you are talking about.

Be accountable
Imagine visiting a doctor whose prescription comes with a disclaimer: " The recommended medicines are to be taken at your own risk and the medical practitioner is not to be held responsible for any unwanted results."

This is how some of the modern consulting firms treat their clients nowadays. Accountability helps you establish your credibility in the market and it is left to the consultant working at the lowest level of execution to advise responsibly.  Refining your advise based on the context, long term short term goals of the client and any other environmental factors ultimately helps you become better at your work apart from the great value add to clients. 

Be likable
We all have that one colleague in the team whose name is often a trending topic and many times these popular guys walk away with the coolest of opportunities. You need to make sure that you are popular in the team for the right reasons. One could make it happen by acquiring unique skills that other members of the team may not have and then using those skills to deliver. It can also be something as small as referring the right people for jobs and helping build a good team, taking initiatives for organizing training programs for new joiners or may be creating reusable/reference content that can be useful to other team members. Doing these small things result in fruitful interactions for both parties which help you improve your image and build credibility. 

The most important thing to note here is that you cannot do it all alone. It all starts with being likable. Building capability and skill-set is just half the battle. A good team player must benefit other members of the team with whatever he or she has to offer. Again, refrain from dividing people into important and non-important categories. Your peers and juniors are as important as your seniors. Remember, we are not called social animals for nothing. I would like to conclude with a quote form the bestselling author Keith Ferrazzi's "Never Eat Alone":

"Real networking was about finding ways to make other people more successful. It was about working hard to give more than you get."

Note: Opinions expressed are my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer