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The most difficult aspect of the type of consulting we do is managing the client’s emotions and expectations. There is always a huge financial stake in the outcome. It is difficult to keep clients optimistic. An important function Ascent serves is educating the clients themselves about their unknown strengths, the adversary’s unknown weaknesses, and how threats can be opportunities. That which may appear to be bad news at first blush is quite likely good news in reality.

 

Related to these issues is helping clients understand that strategies and even the ultimate goals will change with the passage of time and as new information comes to light. Keep in mind that you WILL make it, the crisis will be resolved, and you will move on. You have no other choice.

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The life of business owners and managers in the new economy.

The vast majority of business owners or managers never put a dime in their pocket that they didn’t earn themselves. In the Twentieth Century, people worked, saved, retired, and never asked for help, while at the same time they were always willing to lend a helping hand. They put their kids through college, and when they graduated sent them on their way. Their turn. They worked with a passion for their business and aspired to a comfortable retirement and passing wealth on to the next generation.

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As the Twentieth Century became the Twenty-First, many people played by the same rules and were ruined in the financial crisis of 2008-2010. Honest people lost their savings and/or livelihood and had to start all over, late in life. In the world today, honorable people allow themselves to suffer financial ruin usually because, honestly, they believe it’s the honorable thing to do. 

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The result is privation visited upon their families for the sake of avoiding conflict or, even worse, for the sake of keeping up appearances. Facing up to and confronting these challenges is much more difficult than simply becoming a martyr, withdrawing from your social circles, downsizing your life, and casting the blame elsewhere.

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We have seen people take the path of least resistance many times. Business owners ensuring their own financial ruin by agreeing to payment plans and settlements that are impossible. They are in a position of weakness, and the strong adversary makes unreasonable demands while threatening their reputation and questioning their honor and character. 

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There is a reason this is done to people: it almost always works. 

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This is not to say that the other side is not honorable. Large institutions such as banks or government agencies are intimidating, but they are run by people. Just like your business.  They have families and aspirations, vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Just like you. They have a job to do, and a difficult and thankless job at that. 

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The difference is that the rules and resources are stacked heavily in their favor against you.

Why you don’t understand why things are the way they are.

Usually people enter the strategic consulting arena from the banking and finance industry or are lawyers who specialize in litigation or bankruptcy. The bankers are structured and follow a set playbook. The “process” is what it’s all about. Any large bureaucracy lives on process. Bureaucracies grind on slowly and are in a constant state of both internal and external conflict and disagreement. 

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