Integrating design thinking in a consulting business is a scalable move for sure. It not only enhances the process of the core business but also explores more horizons. It initiates flexibility in the daily business operations, which surges the scope of creative problem solving and helps to achieve consistent growth, both, intellect wise & in terms of providing to the client. It also saves time, brings better & more efficient results as clients want speed & efficiency both.
Framing human-centered strategies is the ultimate goal of professional consultants, which should keep pace with evolving needs. The speed with which the digital transformation is taking place is humongous & the clients demand a newer & fresher way of thinking. In the process, a professional need to decide several factors, too, while implementing design thinking. These factors can be:
- Tech selection
- Market Launch forecast
- User research
- Designing & Prototyping
The Consultant’s Journey from an Expert to Facilitator
Professional consultants are often considered the ‘smartest person in the room’. They have to make this shift from being the smartest person to being the ‘architect of discovery’. To do this, innovation & expertise are their weapons. Professional consultants, in the process of experience design, also integrate systemic design as a means of addressing complex or, at times, ‘heinous’ problem-solving. A consultant can do this in the following manner:
- Asking questions:
In the design thinking process, asking questions and giving answers is crucial. Asking questions, giving their answers, and then asking questions again to modify the previous answers if needed is crucial. Data never gets old or outdated. Each new piece of information can lead to a better decision, making the overall business process more efficient & optimum.
- Visualizing the invisible:
In co-design, a consultant is on the verge of forecasting the gaps that can be left behind. The professional tries to read between the thin lines of the whole work at hand. When an expert prepares a 50-page report, he also paves the way for crafting a system map or a stakeholder map. This brings ease for the client to depict the benefits while also depicting a solution in real-time. This tangible solution can create an ‘Aha!’ moment for the investor-dependent business.
- Adopting the double diamond process:
In the past, we felt the pressure to be the smartest person in the room, carrying every answer in a heavy briefcase. But real magic happens when we finally put that briefcase down. By transitioning from expert to facilitator, we stop performing and start listening. We shift from being the “hero” with the answers to the guide who unlocks the brilliant ideas already hiding within our clients’ teams. It’s about creating a safe space where collective genius can finally breathe.
- Guide to Authority shift:
From being a guide to transforming into an authority figure is a consulting professional’s work. For years, consultants were taught that their value lived in being the “expert,” the one who arrived with a polished deck and a definitive answer. We felt the heavy weight of having to be the smartest person in the room. But there is a quiet, powerful relief in letting go of that ego. Shifting from a position of absolute authority to becoming a supportive guide means trading our pedestals for a seat at the table.
In this new space, we realize that our clients don’t just need our data; they need our help to navigate their own complexity. By embracing design thinking, we move away from performing and start facilitating. We become the ones who hold the map, not the ones who dictate the destination.
Pillar 1: Finding the “Real” Problem
In design thinking, patience & calm bring results. It is tough on the consultant’s part sometimes to bring in fast & efficient results. Let’s be real! The world functions on money. The client is waiting for results or solutions via adaptive strategy in return for paying money to the consultant within a stipulated time period. Every time, it doesn’t work like that. Deep diving in the ‘actual’ issue & deploying needs-based logic requires skill, talent, & patience. At times, slowing down the process & mentally being with the problem at hand gives solutions.
Pillar 2: The End of Boring Reports
Mood boards or visual boards are crafted by consultants in design thinking. Visuals or photographic memory are a crucial aspect in experience design for consultants. Keeping the mood boards on display, at times, brainstorming sessions take place in business organizations. Often, journey mapping is the key utilized to come out of the ‘as-is’ state of a business. Consultants drive fast results by getting instant “Yes” or “No” answers from stakeholders through visual maps rather than 40-page PDFs.
4. Pillar 3: Radical Prototyping (Learning by Doing)
Professional consultants, when discussing a problem to solve at hand, can turn into a debate, within the internal team or with the client too. Showing the idea in practicality will be an answer to all the questions. A consultant is always a proactive one. Also, while implementing the double diamond theory, divergent & convergent thinking is used. Divergent thinking is exercised while expanding several horizons & when charting out the best solutions, convergent thinking is used.
Conclusion
The true measure of a consultant’s success is no longer found in the length of their reports, but in the speed and sustainability of the change they leave behind. As we’ve explored, the transition from being a rigid authority to a flexible facilitator isn’t just a career shift; it is a commitment to a more human way of working. By stepping back and allowing the collective wisdom of a team to take center stage, we unlock a level of momentum that no single expert could ever generate alone.
Ultimately, embracing design thinking is about trading the pressure of perfection for the power of progress. It allows us to move with agility, making space for curiosity, empathy, and rapid experimentation.
