GETTING TO KNOW YOU
words, that someone other than me
could come and deliver the same
session and the client wouldn’t notice
the difference. For me, that stripped
some of the magic away from the
work. I’m the kind of guy who likes to
work ‘unscripted’ - which is probably
my improvisation background coming
through!
Another expectation I had was that I
would be working in less traditional
ways – for example, flexible hours and
different locations. That one’s a bit of
a work in progress, particularly as I get
busy, but I do think I’m getting better
at making sure I am proactive about
designing the way I do business. A
good friend and mentor of mine talks
about the importance of having a
“practice by design” – and this is a bit
of a mantra for me now.
Do you provide services
nationally or overseas? I do
regularly travel for work to different
cities throughout Australia and NZ, and
occasionally to South East Asia. I am
100% portable!
What would you say to
someone looking for a business
consultant and what advice
would you give them?
(Assuming this question means someone
looking to hire someone like me)
When you select a business consultant,
it’s all about the person. Yes, they
need to have good ideas, the right
knowledge and be depended on to
deliver the right outcomes. But more
than anything, you need to consider
whether that consultant is a person
you feel you can enjoy working with.
Do they listen? Do they take the time to
care about you and your business? Are
they willing to take on your concerns
and views and to change course if
required? A lot of consultants come
in with their own ideas and agenda
and (often inadvertently, due to a
lack of empathy or business acumen)
steamroll others in the process.
You don’t want consultants getting
you or your stakeholders offside or
leaving them feeling uninspired. If that
happens, all the work is likely to go to
waste. I’ve seen this happen too many
times.
Have you written a book? If so,
please tell us a bit about what
business owners can get out of it.
My book is called Work with Me: How
to get people to buy into your ideas
and has just been published by Wiley,
something I’m very excited about! The
ability to build willing and enthusiastic
support for your ideas and initiatives
is pivotal to success in business –
and business owners face this all the
time. That challenge can play out in
a a number of ways - getting buy-in
from customers to your proposals or
recommendations; or getting your own
staff or business partners to jump on
board and support key strategies and
projects. Or – let’s face it – convincing
your spouse/family to back a new
direction that might put further demands
on your time or finances. My book offers
a mountain of practical ideas and advice
that will help you to approach these
kinds of challenges.
September 2016
ModernBusiness
39