You’re a what? A consultant! The word conjures many thoughts – most of them negative. I’ve heard the jokes, seen the cartoons, and watched the movies.
I never thought of myself as a consultant. I was a director of training for engineering, not a consultant. The people who worked for me were technicians and engineers not consultants. The people I worked with were engineering managers, not clients.
Over the years, as I trained people in consulting skills, I heard that comment over and over, “I never thought of myself as a consultant.”
To help people discover their role, I offer the following nine signs that you may be in an internal consulting role. (When you read “others” I am referring to people outside your area.)
Now if you answered “Yes” to at least four of these questions, you are probably an internal consultant.
Don’t fret, consulting can be a great life if you shift your thinking. That’s what happened to me. As I learned more about consulting, my thinking began to change. I realized that much of what I did was consulting. So, to be successful I needed to act like a consultant and develop my consulting skills.
For example, I had to learn to listen more than I talked, ask questions instead of making statements, and change my approach when conversations weren’t going well and instead of getting frustrated or angry. The result was that I built trust and credibility in my relationships which led to partnerships and in some cases, to being a trusted advisor.
Now, if you’ve discovered that you too may be a consultant, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a note at clfields@snet.net. Let me know how it’s going.
…Charlie