FROM VAGUE TO VALUES: WHERE A CONSULTANT BECOMES USEFUL!
To the very common question, ‘What do you do?’ I find people really want to know, ‘Who are you?’ Perhaps there’s a joke about consultants to be pulled out of that!
I spent the first 25 years of my career in the family business, eventually running it for 15 years. My biggest takeaway during that time? Running the business was completely different from working in it!
The learning curve was steep and bumpy. I was constantly learning about myself, about others, about obstacles, and about mistakes and regret. What others called failures I tried to reframe into opportunities.
During that time, I identified three things about every consultant and advisor who approached me:
1. They were all trying to sell me what they had. No one sat down with me and asked, ‘How can I help?’
2. No one looked at the big picture—how everything was interdependent in the business. They didn’t (couldn’t?) think in systems.
3. They had little knowledge or interest in the challenges I faced as a business owner.
I realized that other business owners must have similar experiences. In 1993, I sold the business to pursue a consulting career. I continue to construct my practice to address these and other prevailing issues that business owners are dealing with today.
What problems are you facing? How do others within your organization see those problems? Are systems within your business competing with each other to the detriment of your bottom line?
What needs to get done? Is there unresolved conflict? Are family members or partners contributing or detracting from the business?
Through listening, gathering multiple perspectives, understanding your challenges, getting consensus (yes, it’s possible), and taking a whole system approach, I can support your and your employees in helping the business and the people in the business thrive.
There are better days ahead! Let’s have a no-pressure conversation about what you need. Contact me today.