Mastering Stakeholder Communication in Consulting

Hey, this is my 100 days lesson that I learned in consulting that I hope not only provides an insight but can help anyone to serve as a blueprint surviving life in consulting without ever being thrown under the bus. I mean, even if you were at that position, I hope this will help you survive it and minimize the risks.

Having to enter the world of consulting, I learned that we dabble in more than just data, spreadsheet, word processing and even field work. There is also the art of effective communication. These spoken messages are crucial in the success of a project to ensure that the deliverables are met and satisfied the client. Prior today, I would rate my communication level on the low score. I always felt like I had to tip-toe when I talk especially in an unstructured place but now, working in a place with a rigid structure I learned that I must respect the hierarchy and how to convert my vocabulary depending on who I talk to. There is one thing to note that in Indonesia, the working place environment isn’t egalitarian. People thrive on power and have little flexibility especially on these hierarchy. This is why it gets challenging especially when ineffective communication could cost a project time lost and potential financial lost as well.

Who would have thought I would suddenly have the role to represent the consultant being the “messenger”? being the messenger isn’t about just delivering what one party needs to say but I found that I had to translate a lot of behind the lines and understand each parties wants and need. This isn’t such an easy task because as the middlemen between the two, I must ensure that the message is directly conveyed.

Thankfully, prior the meeting I had, I learned a lot from YouTube. I learned how to speak like a professional consultant from people who has worked in Bain, BCG, and McKinsey. The core idea is that we talk directly addressing the issue an have the explanation of it. It’s basically deductive reasoning rather than inductive reasoning.

Another part is that when it comes to reading behind the line, we must ask open ended questions, so the clients elaborate what they needed. As a receiver, we needed to think before we speak about further actions. Then, after the conversation is done, we must ensure to confirm and seek reconfirmation though some type of evidence that has a signature between both parties.

This was interesting things to learn as this is something new to me and I barely dealt with any of it before. So basically, the effective communication I learned in this field are:
• Deductive reasoning
• Being active listener and able to understand behind the lines
• Bridging the gap between clients and us
• Having evidence in case any future issues may arise from the said conversation. It should always be on the record for safety purposes.

For someone who understands social engineering and security related reasons, this is why sometimes I am too careful to say things. Things can be used against us and if we’re not careful enough, it’s easy to become a victim that gets thrown under the bus. It is best to have some receipt of any conversation and activities.

See you around.