I tweeted this early today:
Reimagining acidlabs. Don’t think my message is clear. #
The reimagining isn’t finished, but I’ve made some progress.
I began working on some ideas I’ve had stewing for a while. They’re all about making clearer what acidlabs is about and how I want to do things here. I shot an email to a colleague asking permission to use something they had done in terms of corporate mission as inspiration and now I’ve come up with something. It’s included as a part of my new How acidlabs works page, but I’m posting here so it stands independently.
Herewith, my manifesto:
I care about your business, your problems and the solutions to them. I care about your people, working for them and with them, and your clients and stakeholders. I believe in my clients and the things they’re trying to achieve.
I don’t have all the answers and I don’t offer a one-shot fix-it solution. I tackle your problems head-on and enjoy the new challenges they present. What I did for another client isn’t necessarily what I’ll do for you.
This isn’t regular consulting. I don’t breeze in and tell you how to fix things. I listen first. Not just to your management, but to staff across your organisation, and to your clients and maybe even to your competition. It may be that the janitor or the new hire actually has the perfect insight into the issue. I ask a lot of questions, but I do it in a friendly way.
I’m realistic. The issues we address together will be the real issues and the solutions we come up with will be things you can actually do. Today. Tomorrow. Next month. Next year. I can also offer vision for the future, but temper it with some realism and the ability to actually get things done. I want to see you succeed in an extraordinary way.
I care that what we do together enables you to go on with improving what’s already been done after I leave. You shouldn’t need me forever, but I’m happy to work with you over an extended period. My work is about building relationships between equals, not love ‘em and leave ‘em.
I won’t do work I can’t. I may not take on what you want me to do for reasons of load or a mismatch in skills. If I can’t do work for you for these reasons, I’ll do my best to help you find someone that can. I won’t compromise my ethics to work on a lucrative gig. I always deliver work I’m proud of and want the world to see.
I won’t tell you how to do things and I’m not interested in running your business for you. I am at times interested in partnerships of sorts. My aim is to get you clear on what needs to be done and help you do it. We work together to realise your dreams and achieve extraordinary outcomes. That said, it’s still down to you to implement what we do together in your business.
I’m interested in what you think. Comment and let me know.
Love it!
I’m not one to talk (after almost 2 years, still can’t *quite* describe what we do), but you may want to put what you want to accomplish with your clients.
“you may want to put what you want to accomplish with your clients”
How about some case studies as well? M
@Tara - that’s Step 2. As I refine the Services part of acidlabs, I’ll be describing the outcomes clients can achieve.
@Matthew - as a small business with few clients, the case studies will come. One of my big aims for 2008 is a more diverse client base, but you know that as we’ve talked about it.
Love the intention and the passion. Fantastic!
Generally, I would like to suggest that there needs to be a shift of focus from ‘I care …’ and ‘I do this & that’ to ‘You care …’ and this is how I can help you to achieve your goals. More focus on ‘you’ as the client, rather than the subject being ‘I’ as Steve Collins. Vary it between the two, as appropriate.
@Tara After 12 years I still don’t really know what we do… so you are not alone. and yes it can be an issue.
Good idea and work Stephen. Gather its a step wise process.
I love the naked, personal idealism of it! You had me at manifesto; I just finished writing my own personal New Year’s manifesto, which includes goals, plans, hopes, and guiding principles (we are all our own gurus, right?).
Who you are, not just what you do, is high among the selection criteria clients use when working with expert consultants. (I’ve been a training consultant for years and am making a career change into this - whatever “this” is.) So I respectfully disagree with Caronne about using “you.”
In fact, maybe what’s most powerful about such a manifesto is that it will help clients select you because they admire and share your _aspirations_. It’s a treat to work with people under that banner. A larger dose of aspiration will do this content no harm.
When it comes to presentation, you may find that you can simplify. In just one example, it seems that the real point of the “I won’t do work I can’t do,” paragraph is in fact the last sentence. Also, it would be great to see very simple topic sentences open each paragraph so the main points are easier to scan. “I’m realistic,” is ideal. Make them witty if possible. In parag. 1, e.g., consider: “It’s not about me.” But all of that is refinement.
@John, I like the idea of a declaration at the start of each line. In fact, the piece f work the I mention in the post that inspired me does this. I shall update the master version on the How acidlabs Works page.
Stephen,
Love the manifesto. No canned, meaningless corporate banner. What stood out to me was the use of the word “I” as opposed to “we”. Do you have plans to expand the acidlabs headcount?
@Jeremy, thanks. I’ve used “I” as acidlabs is absolutely a one-man show at this point. If it ever gets to the point that another solo operation wants to partner up or I get enough work for a second body, sure, acidlabs will grow.
*link to funky old homepage; it’s authentic!*
HeyYa - followed crumbs here from twitter … @purecaffeine commented on your “re-imagining”; I suggested to him that might mean some sort of intentional visualization, but came by to peek, not knowing if it came up as art or shaman stuff … no such luck, just hi-minded IT. *shrug*
;-P
If I can just blurt and run: what I tried most of all when consulting was not to interfere w/customers existing work-flow. Not that they acknowledged and admired that sensitivity … they’re hardly ever that mindful … but it benefited me by reducing the noise. And yaa, it benefited them to.
I was amazed at how rarely customers were “reasonable” in the sense of flexible. Logical I’d greet with gratitude! So I didn’t rely on their understanding i.e. I did whatever I could to really get them to take the “Work To Be Done” list as their own, to use it and control it … then it was up to me to keep it clear and explicit … so worst/worst I could always point to details with their initials beside them.
So, just that …
… keep cutting at this thing. Lovely things happen when we clarify our own thinking on specifics.
cheers — bentrem
Trib
Going through the same thing as I start up. The thing I am struggling with is the statement of scope or topic of the consulting. What do (or will) I do as opposed to how do I do it. My perception of your manifesto is that it deals with the “how”. I think the “what” is harder to articulate. Lee
Lee, if you read the comments here, the notion of “what” is difficult for many of us. Look at Tara, for example. Citizen Agency is incredibly successful - indeed I want to be the Australian equivalent (and need to talk to Tara and Chris at length on how and what) - yet she says she struggles to define what they do.
Lee: I only have to reach back a little over a decade to relate to “statement of scope or topic of the consulting” and see how lucky I was.
Sidebar: http://snipurl.com/1wx3a talks about how folk creating “formal instructional resources” are oft-times self-taught, and often proceed in their own lives with “informal” processes. This blows my mind. I almost admire it. Professional practice un-rooted in daily life? Not experientially founded? My mind spasms at the thought.
My pitch (early 90s, i.e. WordPerfect, Win3.1 for WorkGroups, and Pascal for Windows … along with QuattroPro and Paradox) was simple: if you have even one task that PCs can facilitate and enable you then get the rest of the ball of wax for free. Gratis.
But I was directed by user-cases; as a tech_docs type (“Integrated Logistics Support” … gotta luv it!) I was constantly tripping over others’
ineptitude and incompetenceobstacles and limitations. So, basically, it was self-interest. (Anybody wanna chip in with “of the enlightened variety” I’d be pleased as punch.)Or, on a fractally related tack: follow your bliss! — bentrem