Trust is the faith that others will tell the truth, act in your best interest and reliably deliver the results they promised. It’s the glue that holds partnerships together, whether personal or professional. Whether someone else trusts you isn’t entirely up to you; some clients won’t fully trust you no matter what you do. The vast majority, however, are willing to trust you after you prove yourself. Just doing good work may not be enough. So, what exactly do you do to build trust? Twenty-five years of field observation has … Read More

We believe that building powerful partnerships are the “keys to the kingdom” when consultants work with clients and customers. Before we can unlock the kingdom gates, however, we need to beware of armed guards, in the form of unconscious perspectives, that often prevent collaborative business relationships. Let’s look at how specific worldviews about collaboration shape relationships. People hold three basic macro perspectives that determine how they see their “tribe” and how they handle relationships with other tribes. The first and the least effective is “egocentric.” People who play from this … Read More

In our last article, we presented the importance of creating a powerful partnership with your clients. What do we mean by the word “powerful” when we talk about powerful partnerships? We use the concept of “powerful” to balance the idea of “partnership”. Partnership is generally thought of as a soft, collaborative approach. In contrast, “powerful” is generally thought of as a strong, assertive approach. Together they provide a perfectly balanced perspective for successful customer and client relationships. The opposite of powerful is when consultants are overly client-focused, giving all of … Read More

Do you know the story of the man who lost his keys in his driveway one night? When asked why he was looking for his keys on the front porch he said, “Because that’s where the light is.” In the same way, you and your team may be doing great client work in the light, but you may not be looking in the place where the key to smoother projects and bigger consulting engagements lies. Here’s a question: How can you guarantee fewer escalations, reduced scope creep and less conflicts? … Read More