Every consultant develops tricks and techniques that make his (or her) services stand out from the crowd.  Here are a few tips for managing your reputation and work habits while you are refining your own style.

• From the beginning, make it clear that you are a temporary solution and that you will produce a plan to transition yourself out of the workforce as soon as possible.  Work with other employees, training as you go, as often as is practical.  This will give the client a comfortable knowledge that you will not cling to this job longer than is appropriate.
• Document everything, especially the reasons for decisions.  If you participate in the discussion for a particular issue, be sure to document (in email if at all possible) the various points of view and the decisions made.  If you receive instructions from more than one person at your client company, these documents can save your reputation.
• Respect your previous clients’ privacy and proprietary information.  This enhances your reputation for professionalism AND provides an assurance to your current client that you will not blab their business all over town later.  Even when a question is asked point-blank, you can deflect with something like this:

“How did Biggish Corporation recognize revenue?”
“I can’t give you details about a specific client, but I can give you a ‘best practices’ article I wrote last year and we can go through your current practices to look for opportunities for improvement.”

     Practice saying “a major airline” or “a big manufacturer” till it feels comfortable.

• Never criticize work that was done before you arrived.  The temptation is great because you want to show them how smart and valuable you are right away, but this tactic actually backfires EVERY TIME.  Instead of telling them how lucky they are to have found you, tell them how smart they were in the past, how much good groundwork has been laid for you, and how little really needs to change to solve the problems.  Trust me…they won’t think they don’t need you, they’ll like you for calling them smart.  The person you are criticizing may be the one you are talking to, or it might be her husband or his daughter.  Don’t risk it.  Let the strongest criticism you EVER utter be, “I don’t really understand this decision.  Maybe there is some documentation that explains it?” or “I’m not sure I would have made that choice, but there were probably circumstances that aren’t obvious now.”  Let the client say, “He was an idiot.”  If/when he does, you can candidly reply, “You can say that.  I can’t.  I never met him, and I know that some of my decisions may look weird later.  That’s one of the reasons I’m so careful about documenting all my recommendations with reasons and background…so future consultants won’t have to ask these questions.”
• Look for opportunities to be of service.  Volunteer for tasks, freely offer introductions and information (like white papers or templates).  Your client is paying for your expertise and your connections.  At the same time, you have a responsibility not to let the client waste their money indiscriminately.  For example, if you are asked to make copies for two hours one morning, be sure that there is nothing else you should be doing instead.  If there is, you can say, “Is this what I should be doing?  Or would you prefer I spend my time another way?”
• Stay out of corporate politics, but show commitment to the project’s and customer’s interests.  Remember, “I want you to be successful.  Then, I’ll be successful.”  Say it often.  And mean it.
• Recommend the best solution, based on your experience and expertise.  Regardless of whether your suggestion was adopted or not, do everything in your power to make the chosen solution work.  In the end, no one will remember whether or not you recommended the course they went with (unless you constantly remind them), but they will know who was helping when they succeeded (or failed).

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