Point to Ponder:
Good consultants tell you (in other words, help you see) what you think you know, in a way that you understand (to take action and gain value).
Because if you really knew what you think you knew, then (hopefully) you would have done something about it.
Story Line:
There are many games that are played inside the courtyards of corporations, but there is one exclusive game played only very high up in organizations - because it is an expensive game that requires big pockets (authorization levels) and requires the engagement of very skillful players to win.
This game is called The Game of Consultants.
Now like lawyer jokes, there are lots of consultant jokes. But just like many business situations, one party has a need and the other can offer value. Having dealt with many consultants (internal and external) for the past 20 years, here are some observations which may help you judge the effectiveness and value of this game:
1. “What a pity that you pay a man for telling you what you told him in the first place?” - That is what I said in 1989 (and how many feel) after the first encounter with an army of people from a consulting firm. But my curiosity prevailed and I got further engaged in a project to learn the value of consultants. Organizations lose control over infrastructure due to various reasons: silos, turf wars, rapid growth, lack of expertise in certain areas (and other causes I prefer not to mention until I retire). In such cases, it is very difficult to execute new ideas without an experienced, external, unbiased and non-threatening party.
2. A consultant plays roles equivalent to that of a therapist, doctor or a surgeon - depending on your need. A client (patient) spends most of the time talking about his problems, many times he seems to know the solutions as well. The consultant spends most of the time listening, and then like a therapist or a doctor prescribes specific medicines for a problem (tools from his bag of tricks). If you have multiple problems, you need to go back for separate consultation for each and get more prescriptions. If problems are major (declining market share, large inefficiencies) then consultants, like surgeons, recommend major overhaul of the system (BPR, TQM, Six Sigma, LEAN etc).
3. The corporate world is a stage, and good consultants are excellent choreographers. They organize information, people and other resources and present the overall picture in a way that is easy to understand and act upon (of course from their tool box).
4. In some situations, a consultant offers a third (out of the box) way to look at things. Imagine a dispute between two internal organizations. One says: "The glass is half full". The other says: "The glass is half empty". A motivational consultant would say: there is an opportunity to quench thirst. An efficiency consultant says: there is twice as much glass as necessary for the water. You can cut cost and save space by buying smaller glasses.
5. A good consultant can help organizations to get out of "Latch Up" mode. Even successful organizations fall into the trap of “this is how we have always done it”, and people become articulate in making excuses for the ways of the past. Those consultants who have dealt with many industries and companies can share best known methods and help break the latch-up.
6. Smart and long-lasting consultants never let his client feel foolish, even though he may ask or say something foolish. They know that the reason clients hired them in the first place is because they need help.
Reflection:
The most valuable learning from the game of consultants:
7. Does your organization continue to have learning disabilities, or can it create a self sustaining culture? Thirty years ago, I read a story about an executive and a consultant. The final scene was like this:
The consultant, after many months of research into the cause of problems in the organization, meets with the executive to share his final report. The report has seven recommendations. After listening to the first six, the executive gets impatient and tells the consultant, “so far I have not heard anything new. I will wait for the seventh and final recommendation to judge if you are worth the pot of gold that I must pay you.”
So the consultant gives his final recommendation: “You are saying that you already knew what was wrong and what needed to be done. Most likely, your people told you those six things many times. So my final recommendation is that if you still don’t do all those things you already knew about, and don't create a sustainable culture of continuous improvement, then you will forever play this game of consultants.”
The executive smiled and said, “Thanks, you have earned the pot of gold I promised you”, and handed him the check.