What My Book Reports Have to Do with Running a Successful Consulting Firm

 

It's been over a month since I stepped down from being co-president of the consulting firm where I work. I'm still there full-time, with a max load of bringing in work, doing work, and helping run the business. But I no longer have to worry about many roles that I had previously taken on in the position of co-president, for which I am grateful to have served and grateful to not have to carry anymore.

One thing that was previously on my plate was running our weekly staff meetings. I'm glad we are in the habit of coming together once a week to do shout-outs, celebrate birthdays, and make important announcements. I'll miss setting the agendas but will be glad to continue to get a free lunch every Wednesday!

One thing I often included on the agenda was a reading from a book I had recently completed. As you know from this blog space, I have been trying hard to read a lot, and to diversify the topics and authors I consume. These readings lent themselves to times of the year where it was apt to hear from particular voices. So, Black authors in February, or LGBTQ+ advocates during Pride Month. 

As a preface to the actual excerpts, I would often repeat some of my reasoning for these readings, and for the specific passages I chose, which is more than just a broader value for diversity. As a consulting firm, our job is to collect, interpret, and apply information. It is a noisy and contentious world, and I don't need to tell you that all too often opinions are formed in the absence of information, supported by biased information, or in outright defiance of the plain facts.

We can all complain about this. But the fact of the matter is that it's hard to do what we do, which is collect and interpret and apply information. I don't have an easy answer as to how to do this well. I do know that neglecting voices on the fringe is a sure way to do it poorly. Hence, the desire to elevate, hear from, and take seriously the perspectives of authors and lived experiences that may otherwise be on the margins of our attention spans.

I was always heartened when people asked me to repeat the title of the book I'd just read from. We have such a great group in so many ways, one way that is important to me being that they are open-minded, curious, and driven. If I was able to point them in the direction of a book that might otherwise be off their radar screen, it makes me feel good that they were able to put forth the effort to expand their worldview that much more. It's all I want for the people I work with.