We Can Kill You with Kindness

Professional service firms (like our consulting business) are in an interesting position. Lawyers, accountants, consultants...we can all kill you with kindness. I talked with someone the other day who commented on how they were expecting me to get excited about their new concept and tell them what an extraordinarily good idea they had. While it was a good idea, they admitted to being a little discouraged when I tactfully pointed out some challenges, hurdles and problems with their plans. I had to remind this person that my role and responsibility is not necessarily to tell the client what they want to hear, but rather to assess all situations from all angles and point out areas for further discussion. Quite often those are tough conversations, but they are quite necessary and beneficial. So cheers to the lawyer who will keep you out of jail, the accountant who will keep the IRS at bay and the consultants who will help your business thrive!