Sometimes you do what’s right and things just don’t work out. Or maybe it’s just that they don’t work out like we think they will.

For any professional who tries to conduct themselves in an ethical manner, seeking to provide the appropriate solution for their clients, this can be a challenge. Often the client will be pressing for a quick solution when the problem has been in the making for many years. Or your solutions partner will be urging you to sell a higher priced system than what your client truly needs. Other times it’s simply a difference of opinion on what the root cause issue is and this one can be the most difficult. To keep the engagement going it can be very tempting to agree with the client and spend valuable time and resources on a secondary issue or a symptom of the root cause, knowing this is not the most effective course of action. It’s far more difficult to adhere to that role of trusted advisor and point your client to the areas of their business that need the most attention, especially when they don’t want to hear it.

There is a Biblical principal that says we don’t always see the completion of an effort, rather we may be the one that begins the effort while another comes along and completes it. I use this principal to encourage myself when I don’t, as a consultant, always see the fruits of my labors. When I begin an engagement, sometimes there are partially completed artifacts from previous work efforts that I am able to build upon. I find this both exciting and discouraging – exciting when it indicates there is still interest in an improvement process, and discouraging when it seems you may be just “the flavor of the month.”

Mark Sanborn said, “Integrity is what you do when no one’s looking. It’s also what you do when someone’s pushing.” As a service provider, this quote has always had great relevance for me. It isn’t that my assessment and suggested approach is the only solution – I try to remain open to alternate opinions and maintain an attitude of continuous exploration and learning. Rather, it’s the challenge to remain true to what I know to be right and not change direction simply to keep the contract and appease the ego of the client. The challenge is to lead, rather than simply play the game. Their business is important. It should be important enough to me as a collaborative partner to give them good advice.