Consultants do many things – the top of them is documenting the client’s challenges. It is common for prospects to come to the consultant for a solution when what they need is something else. Great consultants, therefore, put more effort into diagnosing the client’s challenges.
Today, even traditional healers call themselves consultants. Banks have customer consultants. And big consulting firms to have consultants. So, what is the difference between the consulting Engineer on a multi-billion World Bank project and the village consultant who does his trade in a very small grass-thatched house?
Consultants change the condition of their clients for the better. When you are sick, you visit a medical doctor. A good doctor takes time to understand your health problems when they started, and your family history. She or he will then examine your current health fundamentals – heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and body pains if any. As if that is not enough, your blood or urine, or any other sample are collected for further testing. All these are aimed at conducting the current state assessment to know, you, the patient. What exactly ails you?
Diagnosis is s critical step in consulting. Once the doctor knows what you are suffering from, you can easily be treated. Everyone knows the treatment of malaria. The difference, therefore, is making an accurate diagnosis. For this reason, great hospitals invest in capabilities for sample analysis. And experts who can see the symptoms and make accurate diagnosis supported by results of the sample testing.
Imagine someone giving you a treatment for a disease you are not suffering from. It could be a death sentence. And indeed, inexperienced doctors have made mistakes by recommending operations only to find out (when it is too late), that the procedure was not necessary!
Great consultants focus on current state assessment to diagnose the client’s challenges. To be continued, part 2.
Copuyright Mustapha B Mugisa, 2020. All rights reserved.
