Now, that’s a nerve-wracking way for a current client (and former employee) to start a sentence.
But that’s exactly what one of my best clients said to me the other day. Luckily, they went on to explain it was a compliment, and I can say now it was one of the best compliments Sylver Consulting has ever received.
Teams and their stakeholders often come to me feeling confident, not only about the problem they want solved but also about what needs to be done to solve it successfully. And just as often, I feel my "spidey senses" tingling during my initial probing, telling me something isn’t quite right.
I know when I get that feeling that it’s time to lean in and take the posture of a question-asker rather than that of an order-taker. To ask the hard questions that will help us understand the real goals and underlying assumptions of an initiative, rather than accepting it at face value.
As you can imagine, I've ruffled some feathers over the years with this approach. I've even been flat-out told that's "not how things work" in this industry.
But it's how I work.
And according to my clients (including the one I mentioned before), it's the very thing that sets Sylver Consulting apart and keeps them coming back to us again and again.
If radical transparency is my innovation legacy, then I'm incredibly proud to say so. And if an entire industry based on the idea of progress and change is afraid of making waves, well... maybe it's time to innovate the way we approach innovation.
Don’t be afraid to challenge your clients when you sense misdirection.
Trust me—they’ll thank you when the results actually help them push the needle.
Have YOU ever had a client thank you for challenging them?
