You Do What?

When I graduated with my MA in International Peace and Conflict Resolution, anyone who approached me would ask, “uh, cool, what do you do exactly?” As a Leadership and Organizational Development consultant, I am still faced with the question, “you do what exactly?”

Today I was sitting with a group of passionate business leaders and owners from Brazil who were receiving professional development in leadership. We engaged in a lively discussion about how leaders can 1) Get clear on their vision and dream, 2) Clearly communicate that vision and dream to engage employees, and 3) Share their business’s vision and dream with their customers/clients so they are equally as excited by it. Being able to clearly articulate a vision, connect it to your dream and inspire others is one key to success.

“I am a consultant” didn’t have the firework effect I was hoping for. I pondered, “what is the best way to describe what I do?” For some what I do is called change management, executive coaching, strategic alignment, process improvement or team engagement. For others offering examples helped: I trained school teachers to implement bullying prevention programs using experiential activities, helped a global nonprofit develop their strategic plan and discover ways to help their team feel more engaged with one another, or spent time talking with a manager about how to resolve a conflict she was having at work. Outcomes are another way I tried to describe what I do. I decrease employee attrition, increase the emotional intelligence of CEOs, help teams achieve maximum results, or assist boards articulating leadership priorities. When I said, “I do change management,” no one came running toward my door.

What does it mean to be a consultant or change agent? It means I am a…

• Chiropractor – who helps align the backbone of an organization
• Doctor – who helps diagnose the symptoms you are having and recommend a healthier lifestyle
• Teacher – who helps people learn how to learn
• Coach – who helps build dream teams
• Dancer – who helps you learn to dance the cha-cha of change
• Therapist – who helps organizations and individuals identify and change patterns of behavior and relationships
• Farmer – who plants seeds for a better world
• Friend – who holds your hand through the tough stuff
• Best Friend – who is going to tell you what I really think about your choices
• Artist – who helps you discover your creativity and innovation
• Physicist – who helps open your eyes to the complexity and elegance of your world
• Copilot – helping you get back on course
• Conductor – helping every individual shine in harmony
• Shaman – who helps heal dysfunction in systems
• Ghostbusters – for when there’s just something weird, and it don’t look good

Cat Cuevas, consultant, change agent and game changer, let’s do this thing.