“Don’t tell me about life (because I’m older and more experienced) — just teach me the skills I need to get ahead.” That’s what younger coaches and consultants hear all the time. And when they don’t hear it out loud, it’s usually written all over the CEO’s face. But it’s not just the juniors who cop this. Even peers or older consultants get the same treatment. Because the executives feel they have a higher rank, a better position, more money and status. As if that’s all that matters.
Recently, I read a LinkedIn post from a younger consultant who wrote that sure, he might not be able to tell his clients much about life yet — but he’s a damn good social media expert and, simply by virtue of his age and the implied digital “nativeness,” the ideal adviser for C-suite executives and board members.
Hip Meets Top
And so the fantasy goes: The young consultant walks into the top floor in jeans and a t-shirt, gets waved through by reception with a smile, and teaches the stiff CEO the latest “hacks.” The CEO sits there with his mouth open, gradually loosening up, shedding his crusty shell. Naturally they’re on first-name terms within minutes (the wonderful self-confidence of youth). And this is supposed to work?
What’s easy and brings in quick money? You go after the people who have lots of money and no clue. Social media really isn’t the specialist domain of most senior executives. But they don’t necessarily need it to be — they make strategic decisions. The CEO crowd sits on healthy budgets and doesn’t need board approval for smaller sums. The bigger problem isn’t the money. It’s the missing respect and the missing time.
A Nuisance for the CEO?
Do you really think you’ll be taken seriously? It comes down to status. And it’s obvious who holds the higher rank here. The higher up you go, the more you become “one of many” — replaceable. You don’t get much time. Your client doesn’t prepare properly (because there are more important and more urgent things). Often they simply don’t have the energy or the passion. But it’s always the time: when the boss doesn’t have time, your meeting gets pushed. Because everyone is expected to jump. Do you want that? In English they say: if you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.
Is the Danger Money Enough?
The young nerd helps the old CEO. How romantic. It almost never works. And nobody feels good about it.
Maybe you need a different target audience to cut your teeth on? Who actually wants to work with you, brings the necessary respect and passion (and isn’t perpetually exhausted and on the brink of burnout)? It’s time for a different audience — one that values you as you are, and for whom you give your time and your heart with genuine passion. Don’t forget: your clients choose you. But you can choose your clients too.
The German original lives at reinergaertner.de, my blog since before most of the internet existed (1997). Translation: AI. Quality control: me, squinting. Apologies in advance.