The first rule of consulting (and other things)

[drwex]

Shamelessly stolen from a friend who's a lifelong consultant, runs his own company, etc:

This is the First Law of Consulting:

You can't stop people from sticking beans up their noses.

If someone is intent in sticking a bean up their nose, no amount of discussion or argument will convince them to do otherwise. The bean will go up the nose and the best you can do, as a consultant, is wait until it's over and ask, "So, how is that working for you?"

I'm thinking this rule also applies to certain aspects of friendships and relationships, not to mention parenting.

Comments

[emberwolfe.livejournal.com]

ROFL! Yes indeed! As a consultant I have found that I say, "And how is that working for you?" very much like a therapist says, "An how does that make you feel?"

[intuition-ist.livejournal.com]

*nod*