How to Hire a Consultant
Giving professional advice is a big business. The global management consulting market is worth $160 billion.
An external consultant is skilled at taking advice from two main sources. Internally, they solicit insights from their teams, peers, and managers. Externally, they commission experts and advisors to provide leadership guidance, often in the form of consulting or executive coaching.
As an advisor, they reflect on the different returns leaders get for the same investment in their services. Some engage in interesting problems and create a sense of team and joint mission. They benefit from the best thinking, innovative advice, and hard work. Yet others oversimplify the issues at hand or underestimate what it takes to create results, treating them as transactional vendors. While their work is high quality, these leaders miss opportunities and risk not addressing the issues they seek to resolve.
Case Studies
Take Sandra, the COO of a large industrial company, who sought advice on how to drive productivity by shifting entrenched and unhelpful cultural norms. She was among the most demanding leaders, arguing, debating, and pushing for more at each turn. Yet she also brought fresh thinking, not shying away from the complexity of the problem we were solving. She convened company-wide forums for experts to gain consensus for their recommendations and ensure effective implementation. The result was not only the achievement of near-term productivity goals but also a renewed sense of purpose and commitment by the senior leadership group to drive further gains through a more agile culture.
Now take Philippe, the general manager of a division of a major pharmaceuticals company. A doctor by training, he treated business problems like illnesses: he would undertake a diagnosis, decide on the appropriate remedy, then seek help to execute it. Innovation had slowed in his business, which he believed was due to a lack of candor in the organization. His solution was to conduct workshops to improve skills at providing feedback. However, it was a simplistic solution to a more complex set of issues.
Key Components to Effectively Use Help
The skill of using help has three main components. Once you’re faced with an issue and considering soliciting the help of an advisor, here’s what you need to get the most out of your engagement.
1. Situational Assessment
Ask yourself: What kind of help will make the biggest difference? There are several ways to categorize problems, from simple to complex. Wise executives will carefully consider the type of problem they're facing, which will inform the nature of the help you need.
Executives make two common mistakes at this stage: oversimplifying problems due to a lack of time or curiosity, and relying on a small number of trusted advisors, which can limit their perspective.
2. A Humble Mindset
A curious leader is open to learning and recognizes that using help well requires a willingness to be helped. It takes confidence to say, “I don’t know” or “I might be wrong.” Understanding your limitations and acting with humility is a surer route to effectiveness and results.
3. Interpersonal Skills
Effective executives collaborate with their advisors to drive outcomes together. Skilled leaders adopt a mindset of responsibility and mutual respect. Using the help of others is a key leadership skill, especially in demanding and volatile times.
No comments:
Post a Comment