​

Earlier this week, I attended a global town hall for alumni of my old consulting firm.

(It’s been over 15 years since I worked for them, and I still try not to miss these - a pretty brilliant engagement strategy on their part.)

The prepared remarks were centered around the firm’s POV on the macroeconomic implications of last week’s US election.

Rather than the alarmist nature we get in the media, the tone of the meeting was calm and objective, grounded in a straightforward analysis of:

• What’s happened before with xyz policies
• What we can likely expect in today’s context, based on the firm’s research and deep experience in public sector client work
• When to anticipate certain regulatory or legislative changes to materialize

​

Perhaps most interestingly, this meeting wasn’t some emergency huddle in response to a surprise electoral victory.

It was on the calendar several weeks in advance, obviously before the outcome was known.

They had correctly anticipated that whoever won, there would be an opportunity to step in as a source of clarity for their audience.

​

I, for one, walked away feeling much more calm and confident in my understanding of what lies ahead.

Partly based on the insights they shared.

And probably more so based on their stoic demeanor.

​

As a consultant, it’s important to realize there are two dimensions to your client’s needs:

• Expertise driven — imparting your earned wisdom to help resolve a client problem
• Emotion driven — relieving the emotional burden of risk or uncertainty associated with that problem

Yes, your client may come to you in pain, seeking answers only you can provide.

But don’t underestimate the emotional leadership they seek from you as well, even if they don’t directly ask for it.

💡

-Wes

​

P.S. - My new slate of coaching services goes live on Monday
​Take a look at the sneak peek site if you haven't already, and book an exploratory call with me if you'd like to discuss further!