Powerful Consulting - #1

 
by kevindooley

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene is a book about Power in general.

I thought it’d be interesting to test it for consulting. What does Powerful Consultant mean? What’s Powerful Consulting all about?

Greene offers 48 laws of power – let me test them all. This post lists first 10 Laws of Power for Consultants.

Law #1: Never Outshine The Master

Greene writes:

Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power. 

Customer is a Consultant’s master. The ultimate goal for a consultant is solving Customer’s problems, it is not about explaining the Customer is wrong. Keeping customer satisfied is a skill, creating returning customer is a powerful skill. Help the Customer solve his problems by himself, empower him with your knowledge – stay in control. Further reading:

• Consultant "Kills" With A Borrowed Knife
• What Aristotle Could Teach You About Consulting

Law #2: Never Put Too Much Trust In Friends, Learn How To Use Enemies

Greene writes:

Be wary of friends – they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily amused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical.

It all depends on your definition for friend. Make partnerships, not friendships with Customers. It is always about WIIFM. There are situations when the customer must stop the contract or the consultant must say No due to business reasons. Friendship does not count in this cases. Better off keep healthy partnership vs. lame friendship. You do not want to hear your friend saying “you are fired. Still friends, eh?” You do not want to tell your friend “Sorry, can’t do that for that price.” Further reading:

• The Power Of Saying “No”
• Consultant Besieges Wèi To Rescue Zhào

Law #3: Conceal Your Intentions

Greene writes:

Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. 

Creating clear goals and objectives, shared vision is the way to go. In fact I found such approach very effective in order to be in control. Do I disagree with Greene? Not really. Almost always consultant works with quite a few people simultaneously. Naturally everyone has his own WIIFM. It is not uncommon that others WIIFM contradicts with your goals. They call it politics. If you cannot get enough allies on your side, better keep your goals secret. It works with tough bosses too.

• Consultant Deceive The Heavens To Cross The Ocean. And Wins.
• Ask Your Customers’ Friends - Your Growth Hides There

Law #4: Always Say Less Than Necessary

Greene writes:

Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

To me it boils down to simple “Under promise – over deliver.” Actions speak louder than words. Results are king. Further reading:

• Four Ways to Exceed Clients’ Expectations Put In Consulting Practice

Law #5: So Much Depends On Reputation – Guard It With Your Life

Greene writes:

Reputation is the cornerstone of power… Make your reputation unassailable…Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputation. Then stand aside and let public opinion hand them.

It is so hard to build a reputation (read Trust) – it is so easy to lose it. Consultant’s reputation is built on top of results he achieves. The more problems the Consultant solves the better his reputation. The more complex problem he solves the les vulnerable his reputation. When under attack, the simplest way to defend is showing your past results and asking for the evidence from the opponent. Further reading:

• Grow Quality - Not Quantity
• Experience Is The Most Valuable Product

Law #6: Court Attention At All Cost

Greene writes:

Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in the oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention…

Marketing is the right word here. There are times that the Consultant in high demand and there are times that is not. To reduce those dead gaps the Consultant must always be on the surface. And that includes: speaking with customers from previous engagements, talking with colleagues from other teams, making new connections, blogging, speaking on public events. Further reading.

• Consultant Speaks Language Everyone Understands
• Basic Skills For Effective Public Speaking
• Remarkable Marketing By Seth Godin

Law #7: Get Others To Do The Work For You, But Always Take The Credit

Greene writes:

Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your won cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what other can do for you.

The law might sound too selfish… Let me put it this way – when Consultant is onsite he is responsible for the solution, he is expected to provide the verdict. He is also expected to do it fast. The credit is always his for better or worse. It is very hard to do it alone in the field. Create your network at customer’s, deliver faster with better context precision. Further reading:

• Team Of Top Performers
• 3 Things Customers Really Want

Law #8: Make Other People Come To You – Use Bait If Necessary

Greene writes:

When you force other person to act, you are the one in control. 

The best bait so far that worked for me is focusing on specific niche. It helped me to acquire expertise that helps me to solve complex problems fast, it also created buzz around me making me a go-to person for that matter. The downside is when I am moving to other niche – people just kept coming to me with older stuff that is not of my interest any more. Further reading:

• Apply 80/20 Principle - Focus On Stuff That Matters
• Improve Your Outcomes By Changing Your Responses

Law #9: Win Through Your Actions, Never Through Argument

Greene writes:

Any momentary triumph you think you have gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory… It is much more powerful to get other to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.

Action are louder than words, no one can argue with facts. Deliverable is king. When you are truing to “sell” new ideas make sure they are solid enough, better off try it out first hand and show off the results. Never get into emotional fight, keep your energy for better investment such as trying out new ideas in practice.

• Emotional Intelligence - Core Skills
• Stress Test Your New Idea For Success – The Checklist
• Emotional Intelligence Meets Influence Without Authority In Outlook 2007

Law #10: Infection: Avoid The Unhappy and Unlucky

Greene writes:

You can die from someone else’s misery – emotional states are as infectious as diseases… Associate with happy and fortunate instead.

Consultant loves Unhappy and Unlucky – why calling the Consultant  in first place? They call Consultant to make a change. Most people hate change, that is why there is resistance. Worse, it is not uncommon there is lots of pessimism, critics, and cynics. Seek for Unhappy and Unlucky and offer your help – that way it is easier to show results. Chance Successful and Happy do not need consultancy. But remember – keep positive attitude and never become a victim of cynics. Further reading:.

• Consultant Loots A Burning House
• Successful Consultant Puts Positive Spin On Everything

The laws covered in this post are taken from Robert Greene’s book The 48 Laws of Power. I only tried to add a little twist applying it to consulting. Stay tuned for next 10 laws.