I come to think of clients as friends. The greatest flattery for me is when that is reciprocated.
It is a pleasure to do an appreciated favour and to be appreciated for ‘going the extra mile’.
‘We’ is an important word when helping teams think about what faces them and the issues they are wrestling with. By discussing it in terms of ‘we’ rather than ‘you’ you are investing with them in the benefits and consequences of the outcome. OK so perhaps it’s not as trite as ‘becoming one’ with our client but it can be about as good as it gets and certainly better than normal consultant speak.