When you have led
an organization to lofty goals, surpassed expectations and charted new
successful paths, it can seem contradictory to think that you might benefit
from the guidance and advice of a consultant. Especially when your next
challenge requires the expertise and experience of a person such as, well,
yourself!
Perhaps the future
goal is clear (expand into a new market, outperform a competitor, lead a new
division). Perhaps you even have a plan in mind. But others are encouraging you
to seek the help of a consultant.
Even if you’re open
to the idea, how can a consultant know as much as you do about your business?
How can they offer you assistance when you have intimate knowledge of the
business, the players and its influences?
This is the
challenge of an expert professional seeking a professional consultant.
The challenge is
this: You are not going to find someone who has the same exclusive knowledge
that you have. You are the expert in the day-to-day needs and long-range
strategic planning efforts of your organization. Here are three attributes to
look for in a consultant:
Three Things to
Look for in an Executive Consultant
1. Expertise That
Will Leverage Your Success
Think about it. If
you are a doctor, lawyer or expert in countless other
specifically-trained-for-careers, you’d never expect a consultant to give you a
tip on a better way to tie off a suture or reference a landmark case. Instead,
you want to seek out a consultant that recognizes you have unique abilities and
talents that they should leverage in the engagement. Too often consultants
spend hours trying to demonstrate an affinity for what you do. Beyond
establishing rapport and being able to stay on track with the scope of work,
this kind of effort is a waste. For instance, Koliso might spend some time
talking about interesting trends in the legal profession with our clients, but
we’re not cracking open volumes of legal precedents to be savvy fonts of legal
knowledge.
Takeaway: The consultant you choose should
build on your successes and your talents. They understand your business well
enough to demonstrate how their expertise will leverage your success.
2. Custom-Tailored
Solutions
Consultants working
with senior executives must establish a custom-tailored solution for their
clients. Chances are your career mirrors the case studies of top-selling
business tomes. You are the subject of best-practice discussions. So, if the
consultant you explore working with wants to produce a battery of tests and
saccharine analysis that categorizes you into a quadrant of similar types, you
have probably found a great consultant for the early-career types in your
junior management team; they are not for you. You need a consultant who works
intensely to understand the present situation and desired state or outcome.
You don’t need to
be sold on the value of a consultant; you need to see value from the
consultant. In fact, the scope of work is often elusive in this type of
engagement and will evolve as the problem is addressed and steps are taken. You
want to locate a consultant to become part of the team. So look for someone who
can focus on clearly defining the problem in a way that demonstrates they understand
it. They need to see the unique nature of what could become of the process.
Takeaway: Seek a
consultant that can deliver future problem-solving skill—not canned solutions
from the past.
3. A Partnership
Committed to Your Objectives
While the
consultant’s business expertise won’t match yours exactly, they do need to be
steeped in senior-level business. Ask yourself: “Do I respect them?” “Will I
learn from them?” “Do their ideas reflect senior-level thinking?” When you hire
a consultant, you are bringing in talent that will contribute to your success.
You don’t want someone who lacks the confidence to tell you when you are
heading in a wrong direction. Frankly, it is hard for co-workers to tell you
when things don’t sound right. A consultant can offer perspective and a wealth
of expertise across all businesses. They will be experienced in their own way.
Takeaway: Think
about hiring a consultant who’s willing to be a sparring partner—happy to trade
ideas and have you succeed more effectively as an outcome.
So, if you are a
senior executive who sees the future full of opportunities and you want to be
challenged to explore them, you will probably benefit from a different level of
involvement from a consultant:
1.
Expertise that will leverage your
successes
2.
Tailored solutions that are customized
for your situation
3.
A partnership committed to your
objectives
Do you want to discuss this in greater detail? Contact Koliso.
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