ABSTRACT
A number of years ago, a partner in a national consulting firm shared with me a growing concern he had about his own work and that of his colleagues. While Harold and the firm were by most measures very successful in terms of client satisfaction and revenue, Harold was troubled by his increasing awareness that frequently his clients did little more than “appreciate” his recommendations. He often had contact with clients after his work with them had been completed, and at such times former clients typically expressed admiration for him and satisfaction with his contributions to their company or agency. He often heard a former client enthusiastically say, “You do fine work! We vigorously debated your first recommendation and we continue to be very impressed with the thoroughness of your report and with your understanding of our organization and our problems.” When queried about what action was actually taken in light of his consultation, the response was often, “We’re still considering alternatives. Some things have changed, I’ll let you know what we finally decide.” This left Harold feeling incomplete and believing he had not contributed as much as he could have to improve his client’s effectiveness. While his client appears to be fully satisfied, the consultant saw little consequence from his work.
