Consultant, Coming in Cold
In my line of work as a freelance creative director, I’m often pulled into projects with little to no context about the nuanced history involved. Project scope, budget, and deliverables? Sure, those are laid out in advance and in great detail. But the complicated team dynamics, process challenges, and business sensitivities are usually left out. It’s not uncommon for me to "step in it" (so to speak) within those first few meetings. I’ll bring up a topic that’s necessary for moving the work along and the Zoom room goes frigid. The full-time staff knows exactly why the executive team has gone on mute, while I, as an outsider, have to start from zero.
In these moments, there are a few kinds of questions I use to untangle the problem.
1. Acknowledge the elephant in the room
Don’t pretend like there isn’t some underlying issue. A soft acknowledgement of what everyone’s already thinking can ease the tension and get the project moving again. Asking for feedback from specific people is better than waiting for someone to speak up.
“It feels like this is a hot-button topic. [Specific person], is there history here that I could better understand?”
“I can tell this is hard to address. Can we go through my points again and see where we anticipate challenges?”
“[Specific person], what’s your team’s perspective on this?”
2. Deploy neutral curiosity
Ask genuine questions without any tone of judgment. Let go of preconceived notions of the best/right/correct solution, and instead just inquire about thought process. Once you know how they think about the problem, you can tailor a solution to address concerns.
“What are you hoping to achieve?”
“Did you have a plan in mind for ABC?”
“Could this affect XYZ?”
3. Stay outside
Being an outsider is great in many ways. You are fresh eyes when the project team might be burnt out. You bring new methods to likely entrenched processes. And you can ask the really difficult questions, the ones that might bring a little heat. The team may not be willing/able to push for change, but you certainly can!
“Why are you still doing it this way?”
“Does that make sense to our audience?”
“Where did this decision come from?”
In many ways, being a consultant/freelance professional provides a crash course in navigating sensitive business dynamics. It's a skill that can be improved like any other; take what makes sense for you, and apply liberally.
