Design consulting is so much more than a transaction – work for money, output for an invoice.
Well for me it is. It is a relationship and a creative one at that.
We all have bills to pay and budgets to keep, but to focus purely on economics, I feel, crushes freedom and creativity.
The relationship is about being able to invest myself into a new design team and getting to know the team members as quickly as the content of the project in all its minutia.
Knowing the team members gives an insight into how the create, how they think, are they afraid of a particular problem that leads to procrastination, what their strengths and weaknesses are?
It is like being a full-time employee only accelerated in its time frame, but also different in its subtleties and its flexibilities.
This drives the initial focus, in my mind anyway. When I first arrive on site, I try to know the team as quickly as possible. Having Turbulent Protagonist (ENFJ-T) personality traits assist in this process.
Design consulting is a relationship, one that relies on building trust to express ideas, even the bad ones. Especially the bad ones from which the good ones rise to the surface.
Some people trust easily, some take a little longer. We all have experiences that lead us to who we are.
There is an old saying about consultants, “you give them your watch so they can tell you the time” but I feel this is a shallow perception that misses the point of why to engage a design consultant.
For me, consulting is about service to the team. It is the reason I chose the French term équipe for my business name.
How can I serve the team to help them achieve their project objectives?
How can I bring my experience and knowledge to complement that of the other team members? To fill a resource gap where you just do not have enough people to get the work done. To fill a knowledge gap in the collective experience of your team members.
Being a little independent also provides the ability to call a spade a spade, but with care and compassion for the best interests of the team members and the project.
Occasionally full-time team members can be intimidated. Possibly it is thought that I am taking their jobs. For me, if they succeed, I succeed.
When the project succeeds in meeting its goals and requirements for fit, form and function in a realistic project timeline, it is the team that got it there.
For me success is proven by the building of a long-term partnership with my clients for the second, third and fourth project and so on.
Consulting is a relationship of service. Get that right and the money takes care of itself.
Give me a call if you would like to chat more.
Comments