I had a boss once, a long time ago, who was fond of using little colloquial sayings to emphasize a point. At the time it really bothered me, but over the years a number of them have stuck with me and I find myself trotting them out every now and then. One of my favorites was:

You don't put a horse with a broken leg in a race and then kick it when it doesn't win.

Now, there are many interpretations to this turn of phrase but I always took it to mean that people are who they are right now. People react and behave in a manner consistent with their experiences and values at this very moment. And, it's hard for them to break out of this mold, even if desired. It's not an excuse for acting a certain way, but it is an explanation, and an empathic one.

Organizations and companies are like this too. Groups of people develop a culture, a collective personality in which some edges are smooth, some jagged, some soft, and others hard as nails.

Good consultants will know this going in to any new engagement, sales call, or mentoring session. Good consultants meet people and teams where they are. Always with the goal of affecting improvement and growth of course, but not with the presupposition that growth can be bestowed, but that it can only be fostered.

At DevMynd, I'd like to think that we meet customers where they are. They often come to us with baggage, broken processes, or poorly performing teams. This is not their fault, it is merely the state they're in and it's our job to help, in whatever small or large way possible. This is incredibly challenging, and something we ourselves are learning and maturing around. I'd like to share a few ways that we try to meet people where they are.