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There's No Room Service at the Psych Ward

Author

Lauren Wambold Patel
February 27, 2024

Welcome back to The 2x2 - the ultimate newsletter for independent consultants!

Here’s what’s happening in this week’s email:

  1. 10 Minutes with Michael Stutts

    More than just a wildly successful executive, indie, and author of There’s No Room Service at the Psych Ward: From Boardroom to Breakdown and Back, Michael is the epitome of keeping it real. You don’t want to miss this full conversation between two old pals.

  2. Your 30-Day Plan for a Flawless Kickoff

    Our Kickoffs workshop last week handed you the keys for a flawless first month on a new project. And yes, we include LOTS of templates and guides.

  3. Strategic Frameworks: Scatter

    When you’re seeking to illustrate insights, scatters and bubbles are classic visualizations. That’s why we’re highlighting these strategic frameworks this week.

1. 10 Minutes with Michael Stutts

One of my most interesting and informative conversations yet, I met with old friend and new author, Michael Stutts (LinkedIn). After a decade at BCG, Michael went on to become an indie, an executive, and a newly minted author. 

Some golden take-aways from my conversation with Michael: 

  • Yes, it matters what firm brand is on the invoice, but your personal brand is most important.

  • Build relationships with your clients based on your unique value.

  • Understand the client’s culture and unspoken rules.

    Use your gigs to test-drive full-time opportunities.

  • Use the first 6–10-week honeymoon period with a new client to your advantage.

Most importantly, Michael has shared his story about finding a path to mental health in his new book, There’s No Room Service at the Psych Ward. 

We cover a lot in this (yes, more than 10 minute) conversation, including many more silver bullets. Listen to the full conversation here.

2. Your 30-Day Plan for a Flawless Kickoff

Delivering a flawless steerco kickoff is all about the right plan to get there. In last week’s workshop, we shared all the deets for your first day, first week and first month leading up to the kickoff: 

  • From day 1 you build the relationship with your client, understanding what motivates them so you can deliver on key.

  • From week 1, you immediately provide value to establish credibility while you’re diving deep into the problem.

  • By the end of the first month, structure the steerco kickoff as a discussion of your insights with key exec stakeholders.

Replay the full 25-minute workshop and download the full set of tools and templates in TheConsult.co Community.

Not a member yet? Sign up today.

3. Strategic Frameworks: Scatter

Scatter plots illustrate the relationship between variables. There are two different applications of a scatter plot:

A Regression Chart is a great tool to plot many data points and show the relationship (or lack of) between the variables. It's good to use when there are many individual data points, like transactions or incidents.

We've also included Bubble Charts as a second form scatter plot. While regression charts show lots of data, bubble charts aggregate and add in a third variable to show relative size of each point.

These are typically used with a more limited data set and allow you to show relationships and importance in the same chart. Bubble charts work well for portfolio, product, or customer segment analyses.

Find more Strategic Frameworks in our Community.

Remember, the path to success is paved with continuous learning and embracing fresh perspectives.

Let's stay connected, share ideas, and elevate your consulting business.

Stay curious, friends.

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