As a consultant you are expected to be able to answer the questions that get asked with a measure of tact. That tact can come in how a message is delivered and or the high degree of accuracy it holds. It is, acceptable to admit to not knowing but, with an expectation that you will come back with an answer sooner than not. 

As such, asking more questions is generally more important than asking only the right questions (and definitely more than, not asking anything at all) as for us to do our job we need to understand the past and present to suggest the future. 

So, unlike the cat, curiosity, is what saves the consultant. If the questions aren't asked (be it right or wrong) how can any answers be found?!

This notion got me thinking (as on this assignment, I asked some admittedly very good questions alongside some others that I should have reconsidered. That said, as I become more experienced, I have come to define this profession of mine akin to playing chess. 

In an earlier post I have said that consultants will think of the questions that the client may not have thought of yet and that can take the form of various degrees, be it looking three steps, ten steps or maybe skilled enough to move 50 steps ahead; in chess and consulting, foresight is sought after with every move. 

However, having now worked in a completely different country, with a comparably basic understanding of the culture and language, the fact that soft skills are the new hard has been reinforced more than ever! 

Putting it differently, the best analytical mind or hardest worker in the room means very little if the audience does not want to listen to your thoughts. 

Being able to read a situation, change communication styles, work and listen to people uniquely, understand little cultural intricacies, or quickly coming up with a way to slightly change what you have said to realign with the client and ensure they know they are getting what they need. These skills are just as important to be able to consult properly however, as the pace of the world quickens, we are finding less and less time to take a second to listen and understand as opposed to just giving the solution asap and jumping to the next problem! 

I found myself falling into these traps but more importantly I have learned to recognise factors (triggers) both internal and external to alert me before I give my clients or team a reason to doubt me.

Now, this cannot be taught from a book; it can be brought to your attention but until you see it in action it is hard to comprehend the highs of getting it right (adding value to others) or the lows of getting it wrong (having your client feel like you are not the right consultant for the job). 

Back to my chess analogy, playing the game is quite clinical in the fact that there are good moves and poor moves. Playing the game that way may bring a victory but there is more to just winning the game (solving the problem) to that. By looking at who is playing, how the player is playing the game; understanding the mannerisms when they think they have you or when they realise a mistake has been made; or (using a line I say quite often) taking a step back and looking at more than just what is in context (changing the frame of reference); that is what separates a good consultant from a great one. 

Seeing it in action in Morocco, questioning both the facts on hand or the people in the room trying to understand the hidden rationale; asking questions deliberately to see how people react and challenging both the business and it's people separately .... I saw that gap in my capability. This is amazing as I know my next point of personal development on the road to greatness. (Apologies for the dramatic wording)

This trip as been a profound experience which is I consider to be my tipping point (thanks Jon). 

Let's see what happens in the second half of 2018. 

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Thank you for everything my CSC family!