So you want to become a consultant?
Most mornings I get up at dawn and I go for a run. I run… but I am not a runner. At the moment I am training for my second half marathon and running every second day… but I don’t consider myself a runner. To be a runner I think you need the drive to keep going year in and year out. Something to sustain you. Something that deeply motivates you to get up every single day, rain, cold, heat, pain, or otherwise.
But what does this have to do with becoming a consultant?
Unlike running, I have been developing my consulting craft for upwards of 20 years. Like running, I believe you need something deeply motivating to keep going, year in, year out.
My journey into consulting wasn’t just a career choice. It was, and still is, a deep-seated desire to learn, understand, improve, and do better every single day. This desire keeps me going when it gets tough, and it often gets tough.
I was drawn to the craft of consulting for the opportunity it presented to tackle complex challenges and work with complex systems. To help transform complex businesses. The dynamic nature of this work means I’m always on my toes, running the marathon at a sprinter’s pace, as I like to say. It’s invigorating to be presented with a new puzzle, and piece it together into a coherent picture that not only I can understand, but one that I can also explain to others.
The process of discovery and solution-finding feeds my curiosity and drives my passion for the field.
Deep technical knowledge or detailed knowledge about a client will take you a long way, but it won’t necessarily sustain you to the finish line. In short, consulting can be hard, and developing consulting acumen can be a journey of hard-earned lessons.
Focus on options
Early on, I learned the value of focusing on options rather than becoming attached to a single solution. This flexibility is vital in a field where circumstances and client needs can change rapidly.
Adopt a hypothesis-based approach
Adopting a hypothesis-based approach is a key strategy to avoid overly strong attachments to your initial ideas. This method goes beyond mere educated guessing. It represents a sophisticated technique that consultants use to deconstruct complex or ambiguous challenges that quickly allow you to move towards a solution.
Storytelling is powerful
The power of storytelling can change perspectives, illuminate options, and inspire action, not just with data but through every interaction and presentation.
Craft the path
Unlike contracting, where the path is often laid out, consulting requires you to craft the path itself. A consultant needs to embrace ambiguity, and test, validate and ultimately create a pathway where all stakeholders are happy. This distinction between contracting and consulting is what set my course firmly into consultancy.
Tackle bad news head-on
Unlike a a fine bottle of red wine, bad news does not get better with age. Approach bad news like an unexpected sprint in a marathon. In the long run, your customer will appreciate you for doing this.
The craft of consulting is indeed just that—a craft. It demands not just intellectual engagement but also an intellectual curiosity that runs deep, pushing you to dig deeper, question assumptions, and explore what lies beneath the surface. Unlike contracting in its purest form, consulting allows you to engage with the why and the how, not just the what. It allows you to shape the solution and influence the bigger picture, not just delivering against it. It can sometimes be a marathon, but if you persevere it can be very rewarding.
Consulting is not for everyone. It will test your limits, it will push you out of your comfort zone, and it will demand your best. Yet, for those who love the opportunity to make a tangible impact and are driven by the perpetual quest for knowledge, consulting offers a uniquely fulfilling path.
To those budding consultants out there, my advice is this: Find something that will nourish you when times are tough, something that motivates you and gives you a second wind when the road starts to unwind in front of you. Nurture your intellectual curiosity and let it be the fuel that drives you to explore, understand, and innovate. Consulting is not just about solving problems but about discovering them in the first place; it’s about being comfortable with uncertainty and finding joy in the journey of discovery.
In the end, consulting is more than just a job to me. I keep going because I get the satisfaction of knowing that through my efforts, I have helped illuminate a path forward; I have solved a problem, or perhaps shown something in a new light; I have made a difference for my client and their stakeholders.
Unlike my running, I continue to develop my consulting trade craft day by day and I strive to be the best consultant I can be. I do this for the sheer love of the challenge and the joy of the solution.
And who knows, maybe one day I will become a runner too.
