The Consultant's Code: Four Pillars to Success in Your Career and Life (The Consulting Playbook)

The Consultant’s Code will help separate you from all of the other consultants by showing you how to properly develop and use the four pillars of success. The four pillars are intelligence, effort, likeability and intent. Each pillar is discussed in detail and shows how common misconceptions that have been taught or believed has been holding consultants back. These misconceptions and inaccurate beliefs not only affect the consultants they negatively affect clients. Understanding that intelligence can be developed as well as knowing the different types of intelligence, consultants can use their natural skills to improve their careers. Also being aware of the different types of intelligence a consultant can identify deficiencies that may be holding them back, develop those capabilities and use it to be more efficient and effective. This awareness also improves relationships as we better understand other capabilities and how those skills are required to have an effective team. Effort is required for anyone to be successful, however many people are taught to work hard rather than put in focused effort. Also consultants are taught to put in billable hours regardless if these hours are focused and efficient. Focused effort allows a consultant to be more efficient in their learning, consulting hours and other activities. Living a full life is based in having focused and concerted effort in what we do each day. Likeability may be the most forgotten of all of the pillars by most consultants. Consultants are commonly taught to develop technical skills believing that all clients want are technical results. However the issues clients face are human based issues. The solutions may be technical as well as other forms of solutions, but the problems always affect a human being. Therefore likeability is critical for the success of a consultant. The Consultant’s Code discusses methods of developing likeability as well as ways that likeability can be eroded through thoughtless activities that commonly occur on many client engagements. The final pillar is Intent. Intent is the act of having a purpose to what you are doing and having the tenacity and persistence to battle through the difficult hurdles. Due to the nature of temporary engagements consultants can often get away with little to no intent as their client relationships will come to and end. This is inaccurate thinking and can lead to lost profits and many strained relationships. Using intent will improve a consultants career and their relationships which can result in higher earnings, more gratifying, rewarding and challenging opportunities. The Consultant’s Code discusses what consultants can do to develop more intent and have a more fulfilling career.