A Consultant’s Lament
I’m still fairly new to this consulting thing. One of the many facets that I’m getting used to is the sad feeling when an engagement with a bunch of people you really like ends.
The Greystone model is usually short-term. While we love having ongoing relationships with clients, the idea is that we do the job you hired us to do, and then we move on. We like to say, “Once a Greystone client, always a Greystone client,” but for most, once the engagement is complete, the contact is sporadic at best.
Thus, when we wrapped up the final meetings this week with a client that we really enjoyed, the work that I had been doing with them essentially ended. We have been involved on a number of projects over many months. Now it’s over. And I can’t help but feel kind of like I did when I left Aurora. The people I worked with at the client are terrific, smart, dedicated and more. Just like the kinds of colleagues you like to work with. I wasn’t an employee there, but it still feels like I’ve left, and it’s sad to say goodbye. But I have no doubts they’ll accomplish great things in the future.
Now it’s on to the next adventure. Let’s hope it’s half as fun and rewarding, and that I don’t feel quite so badly when it’s over!