There are some words in the english language that you are closer to than others. In my case the one at the bottom of the list is the word “should”. It translates as telling people what to do.
Why “should” YOU?
As a consultant, people hire me to help them make their business better, more efficient, more profitable. Now are they hiring me to tell them what to do? Some can argue this point… Now am I telling them what to do, I would say no. No one likes being told what to do, it’s as simple as that. I am giving people a point of view rather than advice.
Strategizing
When developing a strategy, it’s not such a black or white decision, there is always shades of gray (just not 50… I had to, sorry). Who knows a business more than the owner who has been operating it for many years, or the person who has had the bright idea that sparked him/her to create this business? Definitely not the consultant who is here to make it more profitable, efficient or more visible. So why would I tell the business owner, CEO what to do? While I could gather more information from him/her before we can develop this strategy together.
Clarifying
Business owners, CEO and other directors are good at what they do, they are just focusing on too many subjects at once, and this is when I intervene. Asking them questions, here are a few I can ask you…
- Do you know your market? Has it evolved?
- How is your product/service comparing to the competition?
- Are you focusing your sales strategy on quality or on budget?
- Do you feel you are spending too much time on some tasks?
There are many more, that I will ask you depending on your answers, getting your insight on your business, and offering my point of view on different strategies we can apply to make everything better. At the end of the day, we are working together to develop your business, but I’m not telling you, that you “should” do this or that.
Telling people what to do?
The next article will discuss how much you use the word “should” as well as giving you alternative options on getting your ideas through.
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