One thing that often catches new consultants out is the amount of back-office admin work required just to keep an independent business running. I think the reason it sometimes comes as a shock is because when we work for an employer, we tend not to have to worry about anything but the jobs to which we’re assigned. That’s no longer the case when...
Read MoreThe Independent Consultant’s Guide to Institutional Trust
Did you know that even as a solo, independent consultant, trust in your brand from the client perspective is as important—if not more so—than the client’s trust in you as a consultant? For larger consulting firms, this fact probably goes without saying, but among independent consultants, there’s often a perception that it’s more...
Read MoreExecutive-Friendly Communication An Independent Consultant’s Imperative
Before choosing life as an independent business consultant, your former career-roles might have required you to understand and practice executive-friendly communication. If not, the tips contained in this post may be useful to you, because communicating with senior business leaders is something you’ll need to get used to. Executive officers...
Read MoreThe Triangle of Skills for Your Independent Consulting Business
As I’ve mentioned in many previous posts here at the Consulting Business School Blog, to run a successful independent consulting business, you need to be proficient in a range of skills beyond a technical knowledge of your chosen consulting field. Some of those essential skills will already be in your portfolio, especially if you have held a...
Read MoreReflection: An Active Listening Skill for Management Consulting
Some time ago I wrote a post about the importance of active listening as a management consulting skill. In this, my latest post, I’ll expand on that with some more specific guidance, focusing on the power of reflection, a key technique in active listening. What is Reflection? In an active listening context, reflection involves the use of...
Read MoreWe all need Mentors
When I started out my own consulting business in 1997, I had been consulting for 3 years but had never run my own consulting business. Youth (well at least being a bit younger) and enthusiasm made up for it and through sheer hard work and incredibly long hours for many years, I grew a group of very successful International consulting businesses. Could that...
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