The “Day One†spirit embodies a set of powerful sense of purpose, urgency, agility, obsession, continuous learning, and relentless innovation. No matter how much we grow as individuals and team with our accomplishments, it is worth connecting back with this Day One mindset every now and then to reminisce, rekindle and reset.
The Day One in every new consulting engagement can be a great reminder of the Day One spirit. It’s a feeling of “there’s so much to be done within so many constraintsâ€. An uncomfortable sense of “there are so many unknowns about people, problems, culture, and technology ecosystemsâ€. If this leads to humility, that’s a great way to get centered.
On the other hand, if it leads to unmanageable anxiety, a bit of reflection might help. Consultants are the chosen ones to solve certain challenges in an organization. It’s their experience of managing uncertainties that make consultants best suited at times. As an “outsiderâ€, a consultant can bring a fresh breath of air to the problem-solving. Sooner the consultant recognizes that there is a perfect place and it’s the right one in the equation of value creation, the better it is to develop a sense of belonging with the client workplace.
The habit of reminding and rekindling the Day One spirit is especially required when things are going great- the clients are heaping praise, and the projects go live as planned and road mapped. Consultants have the responsibility of giving the due credit to the client teamwork and the leadership support. There’s more impact to be made, there are more new frameworks to apply, there are more old methods to unlearn, there are more data stories to be told, there are more fires to put off, and there are more capabilities to build.
Whether it’s week #1 or 10 at a consulting engagement, the Day One mindset helps!