Being an Advocate¶
Closest to the career — and to the person behind it.
What it is¶
The Advocate supports a Consultant on career matters — the bigger picture, the longer horizon, and the you-shaped questions that don't fit neatly into a project or an account.
Unlike the Client Lead, the Advocate is deliberately stable. They stay with the same person across account moves, so career conversations have continuity even when the work changes. The match is suggested by the Delivery Director or the Director of Technology & Strategy after a conversation about what someone is aiming for.
That continuity is the point. The Client Lead role rotates with the work; the Advocate doesn't.
What you actually do¶
- A monthly 1:1 with each Advocatee — around 45 minutes, set up to be their time, on their agenda.
- Help them think about where they're heading, what they want to be better at, and what's standing in the way.
- Be the door they can knock on when something doesn't feel right to raise with their Client Lead.
- Stay in touch with their Client Lead enough to know the context — without being in their day-to-day.
- Know when to bring others in: Ops for anything formal, your Practice Lead and the wider Practices for technical direction, the Client Lead when something operational needs joining up.
What good looks like¶
Your Advocatee leaves each conversation a bit clearer on what they want and what they're going to do about it. They bring real things to talk about, because they trust you with the messy ones too. You challenge them honestly when they need it, and back them publicly when they earn it. Over time, you're someone they'd choose to have in their corner — not just someone assigned to it.
What it isn't¶
It isn't line management. It isn't formally part of the review cycle — that's owned by the Client Lead. It isn't something you do to someone — it's something you do with them, on their agenda, not yours.
The honest bit¶
The first meeting is about an hour. After that it's 45 minutes a month. Not huge in time, but it depends on showing up consistently and listening properly.
The behaviours it helps build — leadership, people-first mindset, open communication — are part of what we look for at Lead level and above. They're difficult to evidence without doing the work that comes with them.
If a match isn't working from your side, you can say so. Stability is part of what makes the relationship valuable — but the right fit matters more than the longest tenure.
Read our people support network for how the Advocate role sits alongside the Client Lead and the wider support network.