This morning I attended the meeting of the Dallas Chapter, Institute of Management Consultants. I haven’t been a regular attendee in the past, but that will change from now on. Truly a phenomenal (and sharp) group of people who have the initiative to start a meeting promptly at 7:30am and to improve their consulting practices.
Among the topics of discussion today was a question posed on behalf of the potential customer/client, “How Do I Know if I Need a Consultant?” And, while there are no set-in-stone rules, some suggestions bantered back and forth among the group were:
- The CEO believes that performance could be better, but is not sure what to do to gain improvements.
- The CEO does not have the specific knowledge and skills necessary to solve the problems it has identified.
- The CEO has the necessary knowledge and skills, but not the time or personnel to solve the problems.
- The CEO requires an independent, third party opinion, either to confirm a decision or to provide alternative solutions.
Often, in these situations will require that a consultant be retained until in-house capabilities are enhanced by permanent staff additions, or the decision is made that this process will be outsourced on a long-term basis. The process of making certain that a consultant is on the same page with you and your company resembles hiring a top-level executive: you must find a set of values, competencies, and approaches that will take you and your business where you want to go.
