Early in my professional career, I discovered that most operational staff, their immediate supervisors, and even upper managers feel a strong need to demonstrate that they have all the answers right at their fingertips.
This mindset often becomes a major limiting factor when it comes to finding solutions for the client. This is largely due to an aversion to exploring the "new" or the "unknown."
To illustrate this, I’ll cite two real-life situations I encountered as a consultant while working with large-scale manufacturing companies.
In one instance, a manager summarily dismissed a solution that required no investment yet promised savings of USD millions in energy procurement costs. It was rejected out of hand because the manager pulled me aside and confessed: "I don't know anything about this subject, and I’m not going to expose myself."
In another case, a CEO—upon learning of a potential opportunity I presented—immediately expressed a desire to move forward with the initiative. Although the topic was new to him, he intended to take it to the company's board.
The takeaway is this: a good consultant thrives on asking questions! They create "pathways" that can lead to interesting and practical solutions.