CypherCon 2023
Things Not To Do In Consulting
Leah Lofton
Abstract:
In this talk, we will explore some of the critical things that IT consultants should avoid doing. As technology consultants, it is our responsibility to help organizations navigate the complex technology landscape and provide them with effective solutions. However, we must be mindful of the potential pitfalls that could harm our efforts.
We will discuss eight things that we should avoid doing in IT consulting. These include failing to listen to clients, making assumptions, overpromising and underdelivering, neglecting communication, ignoring security, failing to stay up to date, ignoring the big picture, and failing to learn from our mistakes.
By avoiding these eight things, we can become more effective IT consultants and help our clients achieve their goals. We should respect our clients’ opinions and perceptions, remain open-minded, set realistic expectations, communicate effectively, ensure that our solutions are secure, stay current with the latest trends and developments, understand our clients’ business goals and objectives, and view mistakes as learning opportunities.
This talk will provide valuable insights for IT consultants who want to improve their skills and help their clients succeed. By being mindful of these potential pitfalls, we can deliver better solutions and achieve more significant results.
Talk Outline
I would like to discuss some of the things that we should avoid doing in Information Technology consulting. As IT consultants, we have a responsibility to help organizations navigate the complex technology landscape and provide them with effective solutions. However, we must also be mindful of the potential pitfalls that could harm our efforts. Here are eight things that we should avoid doing in IT consulting:
- Failing to listen to clients: We must avoid failing to listen to our clients. We should respect their opinions and perceptions, listen carefully to their needs and concerns, and incorporate their input into our solutions.
- Making assumptions: We must avoid making assumptions. Every organization and situation is unique, and we should remain open-minded and recognize that we do not know everything.
- Overpromising and underdelivering: We must avoid overpromising and underdelivering. We should set realistic expectations and ensure that we have the necessary resources and expertise to deliver on our commitments.
- Neglecting communication: Effective communication is critical in IT consulting. We must communicate complex technical concepts clearly and in a way that our clients can understand.
- Ignoring security: We must avoid ignoring security. We should ensure that our solutions are secure and that our clients’ data is protected, this goes for both physical and cyber security.
- Failing to stay up to date: Technology is constantly evolving, and we must stay current with the latest trends and developments.
- Ignoring the big picture: We must understand our clients’ business goals and objectives and develop solutions that support them.
- Failing to learn from our mistakes: Mistakes are bound to happen, but we should view them as learning opportunities and use them to improve our skills and processes.
In conclusion, by avoiding these eight things, we can become more effective IT consultants and help our clients achieve their goals. Thank you.
Leah Lofton
Consultant
Leah graduated from University of Southern Mississippi in 2004 with a Bachelors of Science in Computer Engineering degree. She worked with the USN and USMC as a consultant for 13+ years. She has a total of over 20 years of experience in information security and technology field. She is currently working as an IT Security Advisor with Secureworks. In her free time she volunteers at the local domestic abuse shelter, is a local crisis counselor, and is an avid reader. She also dabbles at the creative art of baking from time to time.