8 Rules For Hiring a Consultant

Great results start with Great Beginnings.  To ensure success of your advancement initiatives, apply these rules.

1. Focus on clearly identify your intent, goals, obstacles and rewards first. Too many companies rush towards solutions without figuring out exactly what they really want and what they are willing to do to get there.

2. Make sure you are comfortable with ALL of the people you will be working with.  No single consultants has world class expertise in every discipline.  If your challenges are at all complex, you will be dealing with a team.  Don't get drunk on the fancy presentations and promises. Do your homework.  Communication is everything.  Do you get a feeling of trust-ability and solid communications.

3. Map out a plan with clear intent, direction, action steps, targets, and accountabilities.  Do what it takes to eliminate scope creep.  Consultants are infamous for creating ways to stick around-and get more money in the process. Eliminate this by setting up a definitive plan with the consultant at the beginning of a program and putting it in writing.

4. Involve employees from the start.  Make this a collaborative process.  Only hire consultants who want to transfer their knowledge to your team and work themselves out of a job.  This builds employee involvement and buy-in.  Consultants are often resented by employees because they make the employees look incompetent while making themselves look good.  The best consultant shine bright lights on your employees by building your team.

5. ASSESSMENT - DEVELOPMENT - IMPLEMENTATION  This is always the right approach.  If the "consultant" goes straight from introduction to solution you are not dealing with a professional.  Customized solutions require real knowledge of your company, your needs, your culture, your leadership, your business proceeses and your ethics.

6. NO ROI - NO BUDGET.  There are many business annoyances.  There are also core business challenges.  Improvements to business challenges have real ROI.  Improvements to annoyances do not.  Consultants should be held accountable for the work they do.

7. Break the overall needs into small projects that can be completed in progression or in tandem.  If there is a need to replace the service provider you will have less "hanging". 

8. Hire consultants that you think you may be able to work with for many years.  You will need them to follow up with you team and to coach for performance.  Keep your consultants involved through implementation.