Business Thinking for Designers

Incorporate a consultant mindset
Are you able to let your colleagues come to their own 
conclusions? 
Some of the most effective designers I know practice the art 
of letting other people have their way. They’ve learned over the 
years that by allowing their colleagues to put ideas or thoughts 
on the table, they remove any anxiety those colleagues might 
be having about a negotiation. Once that anxiety is removed, 
these designers are in a much better scenario to present 
alternative ideas as amendments or add-ons to the original 
idea rather than in opposition. Similarly, I’ve noticed over the 
years that great consultants (regardless of their background) 
are also really good at letting others come to their own 
conclusions.
To develop this mindset, learn how to ask open-ended 
questions about the current state of affairs before jumping into 
solution mode. Some questions I’ve used in the past:
• How does this impact the business?
• How are you measuring improvements right now?
• What are the risks of not doing anything at all?
• If you had to choose an item to work on first, what would 
you choose? Why?

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Consultants are also strong influencers because they think like 
executives. Many of the lessons in the book represent ways 
I’ve been able to develop my ability to think like an executive, 
which ultimately helped me become one. 
One of the most important things to remember is that 
executives have limited time. They’re schedules are full, days 
are endless, and they need help processing information 
quickly. Designers who can communicate concisely and 
effectively are more likely to get invited back to future 
discussions.
Pro tip
Consultants are able to highlight the risks and opportunities 
involved in decisions and they know that every decision 
has both. When you work with collaborators and leadership 
teams, show data and rationale to support your reasoning 
by consistently highlighting the risks and opportunities of a 
decision. 
In conclusion, the consultant mindset is focused on making 
sense of confusing and complex situations. Ask yourself, “Am I 
adding to the confusion, or relieving it?” If you’re adding to the 
confusion, work on acting like a consultant. If you’re relieving it, 
you're going to be a successful design leader!

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