How to be a Business Consultant Post Covid

At the best of times, business consulting is a challenging profession. It becomes even more challenging during times of significant upheaval: mergers, depressed economies, product failures, leadership changes, etc. So it is obvious that this last year was peculiarly difficult. Most of the problems that drastically affect a business hit all at once. In addition, new challenges and factors were present. All of these new difficulties beg a simple question: what is a business consultant to do?

Here are a few PRACTICAL suggestions for your being a resource in post covid-times. They can be applied during the best and the worst of times.

1. Be creative about connecting. There are a number of softwares that will allow you to personalize your services. For example, Zoom can allow you to meet with an entire group of people (exec team, perhaps?), a single person, or a large group broken into smaller groups. If you are savvy, you can find ways to allow them to interact with one another in new ways, and also engage with you in creative methods.

2. Look for opportunities. Most wealth is made during a a downturn in an economy. It is when the bargains are found and the wealth is transferred. But it is NOT human nature to look for opportunities during difficulties, but to try to protect assets and play defensively. Try to work with your clients in recognizing the newfound opportunities presented during unprecedented times. For example, eliminating overhead because people WANT to work from home. Finding services in demand because of culture’s changing circumstances. Switching to more contemporary (and more affordable or streamlined software). Rethinking products or services rendered to be more valuable and applicable. Etc.

3. Allow pressure to reveal the issues. Anytime a situation is more difficult, humans get triggered and more transparent. They will bring issues to the surface that can lie dormant under better circumstances. With my clients, I am secretly excited when they are upset or struggling. It generally means that a solution or a breakthrough is on the surface. Similarly, don’t look at the presenting “symptom” that seems dramatic, but instead look for the underlying issues that have been poisoning the company from the underbelly.

4. Be sober. During difficult times, people generally respond in one of two ways: fear or trying to push back against fear. The problem is that both are wrong. Being too fearful is a mistake, and trying to over-react to fear is similarly a mistake. They are both off-balance. If you can be the clear-headed and stable person, you will earn the trust and admiration of your clients. They will come to view you as an island of strength during tumultuous times.

5. Become a genius listener. Most people want the same thing. They want to be known, seen, heard, and understood. When they have difficult emotions, they want to be validated. If you can be present with your clients’, allow them to express themselves, and then validate their emotions; you will free them of their burdens and gain a place of trust with them. If we don’t have a safe place to express our emotions they will clog our thinking and thwart our best intentions.

6. Re-think yourself. As you are likely doing with your clients, give yourself permission to reimagine yourself. Sometimes, we have an underlying “gut intuition” about a new direction, service, or business; but we may be afraid to admit it (even to ourselves). Give yourself permission to dream about re-aligning to become even more in sync with your authentic offerings.

7. Re-prioritize the fundamentals. Sometimes, businesses become too…business-like. They over-focus on products and services, and they become sterile workplaces. They become a duty we begrudge, and simply a place to earn a paycheck. This is the PERFECT time to lead people into redefining what truly matters. By majoring on the majors, people will feel more invested in the company and more engaged with their work.

As always, and as a bonus suggestion, remember to be playful. This sounds anti-business, but it is one of the most effective things you can do as a consultant. Being light-hearted, having fun, making jokes, and being playful is a wonderful reminder of how life should feel…and how it often DIDN’T feel during Covid. If you aren’t having fun, your clients aren’t having fun. So determine activities or conversations that bring you joy.

We all went through this pandemic together, and fortunately, it is coming to an end. But just as with a depressed economy, or a business that tanks, we should embrace the lessons learned and enjoy refocusing on what truly matters.