What do you do if you need guidance in a specific consulting area?

Learning is a continuous process and should be part of an ongoing part of your professional life. Taking advice on a specific area during an assignment or project would be an opportunity to learn more, which will enhance your skill sets. This specific knowledge can be used in future assignments. In my experience, consultants should be more effective and deliver desired results when they are open to taking advice and participating in self-learning programs.

When you need expert advice or deeper knowledge in a specific field in consulting, some practical and sustainable approaches are: 1. Follow Experts: Regularly follow experts in your field to continually build your knowledge and skills, ensuring you stay current with industry trends. 2. Consultant Coach: For immediate needs, seek out consultants who provide coaching or teaching sessions. For instance, I offer free 30-minute sessions to L&D professionals looking for quick brainstorming or urgent answers.

Determining your needs is essential to seeking guidance since it facilitates concentration and allows solutions to be customized to your unique problems. Consultants can save time and expenses while optimizing performance by getting to know your needs and offering more pertinent advice. It's similar to giving them a road map so they can address your issues and provide tailored support. Which will go a long way in helping you in the needed areas.

Everyone who either starts a business or has an existing business needs guidance. Good consultants can streamline the process for you and help you get to where you want to be faster and more efficiently. Consultants who have good experience can provide a roadmap to success because more than likely, they have in your same position before.

First step is to admit that help is required. Then, coaching or mentoring is a great tool for self-reflection and goal-identification. And it provides some guidance to stay on track. Finally, courage and openess are needed to implement the personal change.

In addition to seeking out experts, consider subscribing to specialized publications and online resources that focus on your area of interest. Many of these resources offer in-depth analyses, case studies, and up-to-date information that can enhance your understanding and expertise. Engaging in online forums and discussion groups can also be a valuable way to gain insights and stay informed about the latest trends and methodologies in your field. These platforms allow you to ask questions and exchange ideas with peers who might be dealing with similar challenges. This community-based learning approach not only broadens your knowledge base but also builds your professional network, further supporting your growth as a consultant.

Continuous learning is a key success factor. Learning is not something you do 2 days per year. It has to be a essential part of the day-by-day business. Learning means participation in on-site trainings, online courses, e-learnings, reading books, join fairs and other business events, talking to inspiring people and experimenting with technical spikes. The learning progress shall not be monitored or reported. It is just an investment in people, but not driven by a certain ROI.

I personally recommend to try to acquire and collect relevant certifications. These certifications curriculums provide a quick overview about a topic and the certification schemes enable an easy way to progress (although this is time-consuming (learning, exam preparation) and not cheap). Nevertheless, certifications increases self-confidence (we typically have a lack of self-confidence).