Learning-Credibility Tension

New client? You’re facing learning-credibility tension. You need to juggle the need to know more about the context with the all-important need to look credible. You’re trying to minimise three types of threats: a competence threat, a productivity threat and an acceptance threat.

This HBR article is worth a read. It suggests 4 things consultants do to counter these threats:

• crafting relevance to seem more competent
• crafting resonance by crafting insider knowledge
• crafting substance by creating knowledge objects.

Relevant whether you’re a consultant inside an organisation working in a new area, an old hand, or just beginning your consulting journey.

Other posts which may help in crafting relevance, resonance and substance:

• Client Request Profiler
• Get clients to do what you ask
• The briefing process – laying the foundations for a good project
• Asking questions: Getting context