It Takes Two
5 tips to improve your dance with your consultant
By Natalia Garzón Martínez, Organizational Strategy Consultant
Two and half years ago I went to my first salsa social. And ever since, I keep finding new examples to prove that salsa dancing can be used as a metaphor for almost everything in life. And yes, I’m going to say that working with a consultant is very similar to dancing salsa! YSomeone leads, someone follows, but everyone has an equal say in how the song is experienced. Both partners have to pay attention to each other, because if not, one of you is bound to miss a turn or a hand cue. You might be able to fix it and keep dancing, but it definitely won’t be as fun.
We recently spoke with Mike Raymer, Executive Director of the Georgia Council on Economic Education, to talk about what makes for a great client-consultant relationship.
Here are a few things that stuck with us, and some truths that we live by every day as consultants at Purpose Possible.
Over-communicate, especially the awkward stuff. Clients who name their expectations early on get the most out of their consultant relationships. A quick check-in is always welcome, even if it’s something you’re not sure if you should ask.Each of our clients are also paired with a CSD (Client Services Director),as an additional person to ask any questions— especially if you’re not sure if it should be brought to your consultant. Your CSDs job is to clear up any doubts and make sure your expectations are met!
All context is good context.TAt Purpose Possible we have a kickoff meeting with the primary contact for the project, and we use this call for you to give us all the information about your work and your team before we get started. The more your consultant understands about your mission, your board, and your team relationships, the better! Context is part of the job and you know the organization better than anyone else.
Treat this like a relationship, because it is! A great partnership isn’t transactional, it is built on trust, mutual respect, and a shared understanding of what the outcomes are. This takes time, vulnerability, and open communication. Our team knows themselves pretty well. We will communicate our work styles and we want you to do the same!
Trust the push back. What a dream it would be if your consultant only said what you wanted to hear, right?. It’s not always great to hear push back, but just like in salsa, a good dance between you and your consultant may include a little tension. Trust the feedback and expertise of your team and keep communication open to get the best results.
Define success from the get go. Don’t be afraid of specific asks when you kick off the project. The clearest, happiest, most successful partnerships are the ones where everyone agreed, early on, what “winning” looks like.
If you are interested in working with our consultants, we can’t wait to see you on the dance floor!
And if you want to learn more from Mike Raymer, you can watch the full video below.
