Why Morals Are Important In Consulting

Business should be honest and transparent. In reality, not many businesses want to be transparent. Why? Because it’s not standard practice. (Amongst many other reasons)

I am an observant person that loves to see how others interact with each other. It’s fascinating when you can see reactions and responses without having to engage. I guess you can say I am a typical introvert.

It honestly breaks my little heart to see business owners/founders pay for services that are mediocre or unnecessary. I understand that as a consultant, you need to pay bills and make money — that’s fine. What is not fine? When you blatantly know that your services could be used at a different point in time i.e. this customer doesn’t need it right now but more or less you need payment right now.

Is this morally wrong? I think so. Is this something I do? Hell no.

I love when my work/ideas/suggestions/copy/scripts/talent is put to work.

Nothing is more satisfying than knowing you did what was right for your client.

Sometimes clients love working with you so much that they just want to keep you around because you’ve made an impact on their business. Other times they feel like they need you to survive or to keep the momentum.

When you know you’ve truly made a lasting impact? When your client learns what you’ve done and they can continue without you.

You ultimately want to leave your client with the wisdom they paid for and the tools/resources to act on it.

If you remember John Bowlby’s work with attachment styles, you can surely remember learning about “secure attachment”.

“Secure attachment is when children feel they can rely on their caregivers to attend to their needs of proximity, emotional support and protection.”

Feeling “secure” as a business owner/founder is a breathtaking feeling that is rare in the grand scheme of things. You cannot simply feel secure in business but you can feel secure with the people you surround yourself with.

This feeling is a mix of: being able to trust the judgement of the consultant, feeling satisfied with the results without a question, knowing what to do when they are gone, and feeling comfortable reaching out later on.

What are the challenges to moral practices?

• You may be overlooked when it comes to non-transparent companies needing your services. AKA you become a risk
• Money might be tight if you are in a tough financial situation and you made an executive decision for the client.
• You won’t be the popular option.
• You may be deemed too time consuming.
• You will create enemies who see you as a challenger to their beliefs.
• Your clients might push back when you try to let go when the time is right.
• You could miss an opportunity to grow with a client.
• It might take a little longer to find clients.

Stick to your guns and do what’s right for your clients. They might not like it now but they will thank you later (and call you back for more too).

For all those trying to make a quick buck from small businesses and founders:

If this resonated with you or you learned something, feel free to share the love.

Would love to connect!