Sarah Osman
This year, I celebrated 10 years of running Osman Advisory Services. Becoming an independent consultant is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. But it was challenging and at times, it still is. It was also a very lonely journey, with nowhere to turn for affordable help. So this year, Osman Advisory Services launched its first programme, Ela. This programme was born from my own experiences as a consultant and my desire to create a space for women globally to turn to for help. Here, I share how I used behavioural science to transform an idea into a practical platform for aspiring consultants.
For over a decade, I navigated the challenges of becoming a consultant, a rewarding yet often isolating journey that required me to develop skills and strategies without support. Over time, women seeking advice on breaking into consulting began approaching me. While offering once-off advice was fulfilling, I realised it wasn’t sustainable or impactful in the long term. These interactions highlighted the need for a structured programme to guide women in establishing themselves as consultants. My vision was not to create a full-time business but rather a self-sustaining initiative that could make a meaningful difference. To ensure global accessibility, I knew the programme had to be digital, allowing women from all over the world to break into consulting regardless of their location or circumstances.
The Ela Programme was designed with a clear focus: equipping participants with the skills, confidence, and tools needed to secure consulting contracts. To ensure its relevance and effectiveness, I conducted formative research using behavioural science principles. A waitlist helped gauge interest, understand key barriers, and understand potential pricing levels, while conversations revealed common challenges among aspiring consultants, such as uncertainty about where to start, the absence of a structured plan, limited understanding of consulting across sectors, and fear of failure or rejection. This research validated the need for a tailored, behaviourally informed approach that addressed these barriers directly.
To effectively support aspiring consultants, the Ela Programme addresses key barriers using evidence-based behavioural methods. For those unsure where to start, it applies methods such as guided practice and enactive mastery experiences through step-by-step tasks and practical exercises. To tackle the lack of a structured plan, it incorporates goal setting and implementation intentions, encouraging participants to create SMART goals and utilise templates for short and long-term planning. The programme confronts uncertainty about one’s ability to consult in different sectors with role modelling and scenario-based learning, enabling participants to explore real-life examples and understand how their skills transfer across industries. Lastly, it mitigates fear of failure through social support, verbal persuasion and self-re-evaluation. These tailored interventions will empower participants to overcome common obstacles with confidence and clarity.
When designing the Ela Programme, I leaned heavily on behavioural science principles to create an experience that is both engaging and impactful. The first step was ensuring that learning is tailored to participants’ individual needs. By leveraging tailoring, the programme personalizes content to each participant’s skill level and career goals, ensuring relevance and practicality. To keep participants actively engaged, I integrated active learning techniques, including two different types of webinars to target different skills areas. These elements give a glimpse into real-world application of consulting skills. Additionally, regular feedback and reinforcement play a pivotal role in the programme. Using the feedback and reinforcement, participants receive constructive input on their progress, helping them refine their approach and stay motivated. This behaviourally informed structure ensures that participants not only gain knowledge but also develop the confidence and tools needed to succeed in their consulting journeys.
Behavioural science emphasizes the importance of iterative design, a principle that guided the development of the Ela Programme. After launching the pilot version, I collected user feedback on key aspects such as content clarity, delivery style, and overall experience. This input proved invaluable, highlighting areas for improvement. In response, I refined the flow to enhance effectiveness, incorporated more structure and adjusting the pricing model to make the programme more accessible. This iterative approach ensures that Ela continues to evolve and meet the needs of its members effectively.
In a year, we will have more to share about what the members got out of the experience and where the program helped them to get to. If you have any questions about my approach, feel free to reach out!