You don’t have a reliable working system
New consultants struggle with basic consulting skills. They crave a simple, reliable working system. But they struggle to learn and implement it. Read on how you can do that for yourself.
Nick is a former military helicopter pilot.
He's doing pretty well nine months into the job—great staffing pull and positive feedback.
I asked why he scheduled a discovery call if everything was going well.
Yes, I feel more comfortable now than during my first terrible project.
But I don’t have a reliable system.
I rely on intuition and common sense.
But I'm not sure I can handle more demanding projects. What if I get overwhelmed, and then I fall into a downward spiral.
This job is too important for me to leave to chance.
These are common feelings for many new consultants.
I'll tell you more.
Many leaders were taught to work intuitively—generation after generation.
They can be amazing operators but might not have a structured system.
We call it the apprenticeship model.
Like in medieval times, a blacksmith would apprentice his disciples for many years.
We expect consultants to learn in the same way.
It worked okay when times were good. But now, it simply doesn't work.
You don't get nearly enough leadership time and attention.
There must be a better way to learn.
A system that teaches consultants to work well and helps them thrive and win. If you want to learn how this system works book a 1-1 discovery call.
As a consultant, I couldn't quite figure it out.
But, as a manager, I started seeing many basic mistakes consultants made.
Over time, we experimented with my teams and developed a simple but effective system.
The key is to minimize unforced mistakes at each step of the slide-making process.
It unclutters the operating model and makes it more productive.
You should focus on these three main steps.
1. Understand tasks thoroughly: Ask clarifying questions, confirm understanding, and align on outputs.
2. Prioritize high-impact content: Allocate time for deep work and avoid spreading yourself too thin.
3. Produce quality outputs: Aim for high-quality outputs from the start to minimize iterations.
For detailed guides on each step, read this post.
3 strategies to radically improve your productivity.
The system is simple, really.
But it's hard for consultants to learn it.
They struggle to put theories into practice.
I collected dozens of data points on how consultants learn.
For example, 22 consultants learn in the coaching program I launched four months ago.
The findings were quite insightful, although not surprising.
Consultants struggle to learn based on pure theory concepts.
For example, I recorded detailed video lessons explaining how to improve each step of the slide-making process. But, the absorption rate of this content is very low.
Ultimately, practice is the most effective way to learn.
That is why we have exercises to put theory into practice.
When consultants do exercises, they learn extremely fast.
In 3-4 exercises, we already observe a step change in their performance. They reduce the time they spend learning from months to weeks.
They eliminate many silly mistakes. Start producing decent outputs. Avoid unnecessary iterations.
Leaders stop providing negative feedback and start providing positive ones.
This has a positive effect on all aspects of their work, including productivity, confidence, motivation, and relationships.
That’s how they improve their performance. And it’s only the first step in the program when we stabilize consultants.
P.S.
You can build your own working system using the materials I share on this website.
But, if you're short on time and need tangible results, consider joining the Hero's Journey program.
Book a 1-1 Discovery Session to learn more.
Learn more about the Hero's Journey coaching program.