Consultative Thinking

What we call “consultative” thinking involves three things: focus, a mindset and ethics.

1: Focus: consultative thinking is about:

• Demand (rather than supply)
• The client relationship (rather than the deal), and
• Working with rather than for, i.e. within relationships based on mutual trust and respect.

2: Mindset: consultative thinking is characterized by the 2D’s:

• Distance: the ability to look at clients’ organizations and see the wood, not the trees; an ability to zoom in and zoom out, providing a valuable perspective.
• Discontinuity: an ability to see opportunities for step change, for systematic innovation, combined with capabilities in managing change.

3: Ethics: consultative thinking is about integrity, by which we mean to:

• Do what is in the best interest of clients –even if that might not be in our own immediate interest.
• Safeguard the interests of all stakeholders – including clients’ customers and the society in which clients operate.
• Take responsibility for one’s actions and represent the performance and risks of the work accurately and honestly.
• Develop oneself and the managers under one’s supervision so that the profession continues to grow and contribute to the well-being of society.
• Strive to create sustainable economic, social and environmental prosperity.

Structural Analysis

Structural engineers are continually being asked to do more, in less time, and using a disconnected workflow eats into profits quickly. Integrating analysis, design, documentation and detailing increases productivity and is critical for business growth.