Considering Consultants

We’ve all had guides in our lives - people who have steered us in the right direction or perhaps the wrong direction. 

As you reflect on those guides, what comes to mind? When were those people most helpful, and when were they not? 

Things like, “They taught me how to fish,” “They encouraged me to think critically,” or “They lead by example” might come to mind. Perhaps you can also think of a few people who gave you advice that was not helpful or even harmful. 

What did you find worked for you? What didn’t? 

Now consider people whom a company may have hired as consultants. What struck you as the most impactful moments with these professionals?

For some, a well-crafted PowerPoint presentation might come to mind, but looking deeper, why did that PowerPoint presentation make such a difference? Perhaps it captured the essence of an issue that you have been trying to solve, in a way that others have not. Or perhaps it spoke to a clearer path forward that led you and your team to make headway in growing your business.

Perhaps you’ve worked with someone who understands the intricacies of accounting and can guide you through understanding how to best categorize your expenses. 

The job of a consultant has taken on many forms throughout history and continues to do so. Consultants are brought into organizations not just for their expertise but can also be hired for their facilitation skills, their ability to be “thought partners,” and their ability to guide leaders by asking pivotal questions or codesigning a change management strategy with leaders.

When we think about consultants, we might have one particular thing in mind, and if you do, I challenge you to consider various approaches to consulting. 

Further, while some consultants may hold similar areas of expertise, types of consulting processes, or domains of interest, each consultant is unique in their practice.

 If you’ve considered hiring a consultant, it’s intuitive to consider what type of consulting (and consultant) you need, but knowing where to begin can also be challenging. Knowing your needs is an important step in working with a consultant, AND it usually takes some time and experience to know what you need. 

As I study the practice of Organizational Development and apply it to my three years of experience as a consultant, something that I and other practitioners and theorists have found to be true is that many problems cannot be solved by simply thinking about them. “Probing,” trying new things, and considering different perspectives are all required in order for a group to develop and problems to be solved. In this spirit, you might consider starting with someone whose experience and advice you trust and asking if they have any particular recommendations when it comes to solving a problem or seeking out a consultant. 

Some considerations I’d like to :

1. What type of problem are you trying to address?
2. What is this person’s background, experience, and area of expertise?
3. What type of approach do they take, and what approach do you need them to take? For instance, do you need a one-time assessment or a second opinion about a simple issue, or do you want a thought partner that will help you explore the best possible solutions to a complicated problem? Do you need someone who asks great questions about your strategy? Or perhaps someone who has a track record of leading organizations through a complex or chaotic series of issues?
4. Lastly, are you looking for a consultant who will (try to) identify and fix a problem for you, prescribe your problem and solution but have you implement it, or work alongside you to uncover and address a problem, teaching you the best methods to continually improve?

I intend to pose these questions to you to activate your imagination about what a consultant can be and what you need them to be. These questions are important, especially when considering spending time and resources on the services of a consulting professional. 

More to come about the practice of consulting in future posts, including my own! Stay tuned.