Pragmatic Consulting Club - Defining Success

Seneca famously said,

“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.”

Time and time again, I come across consultants who have been in trouble with clients or are struggling to grow their practices precisely for that. They did not clearly define what success looks like.

This is a gentle reminder for you to avoid that mistake.

To expand on his famous quote, Seneca used the analogy of a painter wanting to paint a portrait - the painter doesn’t start painting a portrait until they decide who they are painting a portrait of.

Before you start any client engagement or launch any initiative to grow your consulting business, ask yourself: What would success look like on this? Why am I doing this?

Think outcomes, not activities. If you're struggling to do that, there's another powerful question you can pose: "How will we know if it’s working?"