So if relief is your ultimate deliverable, what does that look like in action?

It will depend on your area of expertise and the problem at hand, but relief could look like:

• Providing structure
• Stopping the bleeding
• Breaking structural gridlock
• Clearing a backlog
• Corralling opinions
• Diffusing conflict
• Influencing stakeholders
• Bringing consensus
• Connecting the dots
• Identifying through-lines
• Infusing creativity
• Providing a fresh perspective

Your service may include any of these, several of these, or all of these.

But zoomed out, your client is looking to you to:

• Preview a future state
• Create a roadmap in that direction
• Guide the next steps forward

It’s a tall order.

But remember, they’re talking to you for one simple reason:

Your expertise matches their urgent problem.

💡

-Wes