Few if any of us appreciate when someone suggests a solution to a problem that we have already tried. Additionally, as someone offering advice to clients, nothing makes you look less like an ‘expert’ than to suggest a "been there, done that" strategy. As a consultant, one of the best tips I learned was to ask about what the person had tried before, and if any of these seemed to work at all. Being clear on who you are and what you have to offer is the first step in increasing the "contextual-fit" (Albin et. al., 1996) between you and your client.
The next step is to provide those services with flexibility to adjust to the changing needs of your clients. Finally, ensuring that co-workers and clients are treated with respect increases the likelihood of establishing long-term relationships. To that end, we have decided to segment our services to reach the individuals we feel passionate about supporting.
Segmenting is one way to specify which individuals would be interested in your services and/or what issues you can help them work through. For Zugunruhe we are choosing to focus on five areas. While these are listed as separate topics we feel strongly that they are interrelated:
Leadership – Effective leadership provides the foundation for any organization. Effective leaders establish productive environments that foster success of the organization and the individual employees.
Organizational Culture – Creating predictable and positive work environments will increase the ability to recruit and retain talented and dynamic individuals.
Customer Relations – As important as treating employees with respect, customers need to feel that they are getting a quality service from an organization with integrity.
Social Responsibility – A final extension of an organization is to reach out the community through volunteerism, philanthropy, donations, etc.
Career Change – Finding the right organization that fits your passion and that supports and respects your personal and professional development is key to creating your own quality life. When you think about your current position ask yourself: Do I look forward to going to work everyday? Do I believe in what I do? When I interact with co-workers, clients, etc. do I slow down and respect their needs and interests?
For more information about any of these topics please visit our website as well as create a profile or update your existing one.
Albin, R.W., Lucyshyn, J.M., Horner, R.H., & Flannery, K.B. (1996). Contextual fit for behavior support plans: A model for A Goodness of Fit. In L.K. Koegel, R.L. Koegel, & Dunlap, G. (Eds.), /Positive Behavior Support: Including People with Difficult Behavior in the Community /(pp. 81-98). Baltimore: Paul Brookes.
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