The Five-Minute Solution
Experienced consultants aren't worried about gathering facts—they're drowning in them. As the author reveals, the real challenge in consulting isn't finding information but filtering through the "overwhelming flood" that clients provide. The seasoned consultant's secret weapon? ==The Five-Minute Rule: "Clients always know how to solve their problems, and always tell the solution in the first five minutes."== Whether it's creeping change hidden in a story about white bread or excessive formality stifling creativity, the answer is there from the start—if only we're listening. Too often, consultants miss these early signals because they're nervous or distracted, focusing on superficial details rather than the wisdom already present.
The art of consulting isn't in knowing more than your client—it's in helping them see what they already know.