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As a manager a long time ago when faced with my first concern of selecting a great external consultant, I found personally all at ocean. Fortunately for me personally, I intuitively hit two from the three selection targets. The project was to generate a communication video, so it was relatively easy to see and compare exactly what each MyQwest consultant had previously produced. I had a number of consultants to choose from, but finally chose one that I felt beloved with and in whose work impressed me personally most. The project was successful and in the act, I learned a whole lot.
Since that period, I have were required to employ a number of consultants, I have recently been a consultant myself for pretty much 20 years, and I been employed by with many other consultancies both huge and small. The following suggestions for selecting a consultant provide my experience like a manager and inside the consultancy field.
What are the actual three targets that certain must hit to successfully decide on a consultant? (Note; I am using the term “consultant” to refer to either one person or a consultancy firm). Firstly and many obviously, the consultant must manage to actually do the task. Secondly, the consultant must have the ability to fit in with the people in your own organisation and particularly people who will be working on this project. Finally, if the advisor is good, you should always improve your personal knowledge as a result of the project.
1. Can the consultant do the work? Seems obvious, but there are usually some traps. For instance, I remember when getting started as a consultant in partnership with another (who was simply also new towards the role), submitting a tender to get a fairly large career and being selected inside the final few regarding interview. Individually, we’d had some experience in the type of work, but not like a partnership, nor had we worked inside the prospective client’s business. We won the job. Why? The client noticed in us several creativity and freshness that has been not evident inside our competitors. However, this was a unique client. Normally, I would not suggest taking on a consultant (like us) that has not had the depth nor width of experience inside the project. So, unless one of one’s criteria is “freshness”, in terms associated with selecting for experience here are some tips:
o What tend to be your specifications? Be very clear on the outputs you will need in the task. These should always be measured when it comes to quality, quantity, time and expense. Use these end result criteria to evaluate consultants.
o Who provides recommended this expert? Check their references – ask for the contact from the last job these people did. When checking recommendations, use your previously mentioned “output criteria” as a guide.
o Are you trying to find someone to implement methods to a problem you’ve identified, or are you looking for someone that will help you identify and clarify the issue? Or both? Sometimes it can be handy to split the actual project into those two parts.
o In discussion with all the prospective consultants, do they really give you the time to say what you want before jumping to conclsuons? If they may actually “have all the answers”, chances are they do not listen very properly.
o Does their suggested solution look like specifically designed for you or is it a “one dimensions fits all”? Be wary when it is not specifically designed to meet your venture criteria.
o Do they explain the items they can’t do as well as those they can? This is always a great test of strength, truefulness and trustworthiness.
o Is their initial a reaction to your request up to your quality specifications, sufficiently detailed (but not overly so) to make a decision, and within your time expectations?
o Does the consultant have depth of expertise inside the subject matter and breadth of experience in its application?
o Ask the consultant what exactly is unique about them? What makes them stick out from all the other consultants you might choose?
2. Secondly, will the consultant participate in the people they will be working with? This is a crucial implementation issue, as whilst they could possibly do the perform, if they cannot work harmoniously with the people, the results will probably be less than optimum. For instance, we once worked on a major federal government project (total budget in excess of M$43) where the client continually held us at arm’s length (for example, on a residential workshop, we were not encouraged you can eat or mix socially with the client project management). We met the actual output requirements for that client, but had we been permitted to work more closely with all the client, they would have received much more value added program. In this case, the client needs to have selected another consultant.
The following suggestions will help make sure you get the right client/consultant match.
o Is the consultant likely to be able to gain the respect and trust of the key stakeholders?
o Could a person trust this person (people)?
o What is the process they use? i. e, How will they work inside organisation? How will they be observed? Try to imagine the consultant working together with you and the other people as they will complete the project. Will it function? Is it apt to be a good collaboration?
o Who specifically (from the consultancy) will be working on the actual project and what is going to be their function? For example, will the people you might be interviewing be performing the work? Be wary of consultancies that have “front people” that win the careers, then send inside less experienced individuals to do the perform.
o Ask the consultant to describe what a “good working relationship” appears like to them. Is the outline the consultant gives you of a “good working relationship” apt to be, and to be seen to be, a partnership?
3. Thirdly, will you find a way ot learn out of this consultant? One of the causes you hire any consultant is that you simply (or your organisation) won’t have the depth nor breadth of experienece to successfully carry out the project. One of your aims must be to increase your very own experience through this particular project. For example:
o Why did you choose to employ a consultant? What were the gaps you could not fill inside?
o What are you considering likely to study on this consultant?
o Will a person increase your knowledge of both process management (the way the consultant works) along with content management (their specialitzation)?
o Will the particular consultant strengthen as well as support your role inside the organisation?
Finally, if all of your criteria have been met and you also cannot decide between two apprently equal consultants, consider setting them a small task or the main project to complete as part of the selection process. For example, some years ago we were inside competition with another large consultancy for a sizeable project with an initial budget in excess of M$1. The client couldn’t decide between the two of us, so he questioned us each to attempt a small project (for which he paid all of us both), which would ultimately become part of the larger project. When we each completed the little project, he had a great idea of each our capability and the manner in which we worked. After all, isn’t the ultimate selection criterion is actually trying the expert out?
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