Whatever outcome you are trying to achieve in your business, the process of getting there is all too often a stubbornly one-sided affair.

At one extreme, some consultants have a fixed view of the “best” way to achieve a particular outcome, sometimes motivated by the desire to sell a certain product or provide a solution based on previous ‘similar’ scenarios. Often, these scenarios are not as similar as they seem to be and fail to take into account the unique situation of the business.

At the other, the client themselves might have a rigid view of how to solve their problem, with the consultant or supplier simply ‘doing as they are told’ and executing it.

Another issue is that the client might not recognise the actual problem in their business. They might believe that X is the problem and requires Y solution, when a little probing would reveal something else entirely.

What’s more, a different approach/solution might actually solve their initial problem, while also simultaneously improving something else in the business that they had (or hadn’t) thought about before.

As you might imagine, all of these scenarios often result in a solution and outcome that is less than ideal. They fail to take into account the respective client’s and partner’s unique insights, experiences and resources that could otherwise be used to ensure the best possible outcome.

In short, no party has ALL the answers in isolation! It is so important to utilise everyone’s expertise and experience to share best practice.

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“… a different approach/solution might actually solve their initial problem”