Introspective: why consultants need therapy skills

17 years ago, I mitigated risk and secured high value assets for one of Australia’s major banks. My clients were business-focused and always working, and although my skills complemented their financial needs, I was faced with an unexpected element. A human element. 

The men and women I saw everyday were struggling with rarely acknowledged mental health issues, hidden traumas and the strain of a bungling bottom line - the idea that we shouldn’t let our inner lives interfere with our professional day to day ignores the very real impact curative conversations can have on what happens next. After some first hand experience, I had a bit of a brainwave. I needed to take a career detour. I needed to help people with more than money, because when it came down to it, success is about more than money. I studied Counselling and Human Change, channeling my people skills into a therapeutic pathway. 

What does my story have to do with all consultants?

I know what you’re thinking - generalisations often neglect to consider the outliers, the others, the consultants that do things differently. And while their inventiveness looks great on LinkedIn, at the end of the day, consultants are still people dealing with people. 

What do I mean?

We need to think beyond our services. Susan Zimmerman (celebrated author of Mindful Money for Wealth and Well-Being: Help Clients Strike a Balance in Financial Planning) said it best when she encouraged consultants to embrace both logic and emotion:

“it’s never just about the numbers. Numbers mean nothing without an understanding of how they can provide genuine, harmonious, and long-lasting solutions to human problems. And human problems are fraught with a multitude of emotions. Yes, even the money ones. Especially the money ones.”

What can you do as a consultant?

Listen and observe

At times, people do not see what is happening for them, nor do they recognise certain patterns and behaviours, so it is important to dig deeper, past the numbers and processes etc and develop an understanding of what’s really important to our clients. Why do they wake up every day? How do they feel about their lives, their careers and their choices?

Foster deeper connections

Sound business acumen is great, we need it in our line of work, but our contributions only make a lasting impression when people trust and value our advice. Clients need more than words piped down their ear, they need to connect with their advisors on a deeper level. To be clear, I’m not recommending everybody go out and get a counselling degree, but it has certainly helped me foster the kind of relationships that lead to positive results.

Work on yourself

There is nothing that we do that does not involve people. So whilst each of us holds critical skills across business, fundamentally, it is the extra training that brings it all together. Do not neglect your own development, particularly if there’s a course or seminar that could change the way your work is delivered or how you approach the work.

Has coronavirus changed the way clients think, feel, and react?

Definitely. A worldwide pandemic will naturally heighten people’s emotions and impact behaviours, beliefs and reactions… COVID-19 has been difficult to navigate for a lot of people, particularly those who find themselves unemployed and struggling to keep a roof over their head. 

What can we, as consultants, do to facilitate success during and after Covid-19?

We can listen. We can be mindful. We can leave those around us in a better place when we say goodbye, compared to when we first met them, emotionally and in business. Although it’s not a precise plan - and it shouldn’t be, as every client is different - it is a call to action for those of us who recognise the truth behind what we do as consultants. 

We help people. 

Do you need support? 

I am always happy to have a conversation. If you need support in adapting your business for the better, reach out for a chat.