Trust-Based Consulting

It’s the soft stuff that sets you apart when you’re in a consultative role (internal or external)—traits like humility, adaptability, and perceptiveness. And mastering the soft stuff doesn’t just happen; it requires the same attention you have given your industry knowledge, technical expertise, and problem-solving skills.

Take your consulting skills to the next level

Our Trust-Based Consulting program combines advanced consulting skills with the best practices of a trusted advisor. Developed in partnership with Trusted Advisor Associates, it provides in-depth experience with the cognitive, emotional and social skills required to be masterful in any consultative role.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE

This program is ideally suited for:

• Front-line consultants with direct client responsibilities
• People in shared services roles (such as IT, finance, HR)
• Client relationship managers
• Account managers
• Project managers

Involve your entire organization or strategically targeted groups.

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS

We always tailor a program to match your real needs. Choose one of the following or combine several for maximum impact:

• Customized, stand-alone workshops (usually one to three days, staggered or sequential)
• Keynotes and mini-modules to add to off-sites, workshops, and other scheduled events
• The Trust Quotient diagnostic
• Your 30-day experiment
• Individual or team coaching

WHAT YOU’LL GET

Exact outcomes depend on the scale and duration of a program. Here’s a sample list of program objectives:

• Describe the cognitive, emotional, and social skills required to be an effective consultant
• Recognize the four variables of trust and identify specific ways to improve personal trustworthiness ratings
• Effectively engage clients and other stakeholders to reveal root cause issues and needs
• Apply the dynamics of influence to achieve results with others
• Understand how to consistently elevate your role from custodian to collaborator to trusted advisor.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM PAST PARTICIPANTS

Here’s a sampling of what our clients have said they’ve learned:

Client Relationships “Client focus is personal, psychological, starts with me” “Intentions matter; clients can tell” “Saying you don’t know helps credibility; not saying it destroys it” “A lot of this is about personal courage” “If I’m thinking about controlling the client, I’m thinking wrong”	Influence and Getting Your Advice Taken “It’s not as much about expertise as we think” “You have to earn the right to be right” “Be curious, be courageous, be yourself” “Clients want to know the limits of your knowledge, not its extent” “Put yourself in their shoes”
Problem-Solving “Probe to find the real problem before providing answers” “Let the client do 90% of the talking” “Ask the tough questions, they pay off” “The real value is in the discovery, problem definition, framing” “Win/win/win/win/win—dare to be great in envisioning outcomes”	Dealing with Conflict “Framing problems with ‘we’ is a game-changer” “Listening is an active—and undervalued—process” “There’s big value in speaking the hard truths” “Talk about the elephant in the room” “Always keep an open mind”

WHAT ELSE TO EXPECT

There is no trust without risk, and there is no excellence in consulting without it, either. In our programs, we discuss thought-provoking concepts, teach tough lessons, and engage in candid conversations. We focus on helping you develop new mindsets as well as skill sets by using:

• Intellectually challenging models, paradoxes and stories
• Real client situations (yours)
• Customized caselets
• Role-playing
• Other experiential learning

Find out more in our nine-point checklist for successful trustworthiness training.

Or talk to us about bringing this program to you.