THE CONSULTANT WHO CAME TO DINNER

"Consultants have credibility because they are not dumb enough to work at your company." ~Scott Adams (Creator of Dilbert)


Scott Adams' quote reminds me of a conversation I could imagine having with a Leader who is experiencing unacceptable levels of turnover among high-quality employees in a highly-competitive market:

HERB: "Cris, how can I improve my retention of my key Leaders? Seems like I've got a revolving door with our competition and the hiring/training costs are killing our budget."

ME: "Simple, Herb! Make them consultants--then they'll NEVER leave."

Seriously, have you ever felt like Bette Davis after six months with Sheridan Whiteside ["The Man Who Came to Dinner" (1942)] when your consultant remains AND your project remains unfinished. I have certainly overstated the case for hyperbole, but there's probably not one among us who hasn't shared at least one experience of the "permanent consultant." Some people just don't know when to say good-bye.

Consultants can serve many useful and legitimate purposes for your Organization.

• There are projects and initiatives that require a special expertise that you don't retain in-house.
• You partner with a vendor to convert to a new enterprise financial platform for which the vendor provides the consulting services.
• I am also a firm believer that some organizational change initiatives, particularly those involving massive shifts in leadership, training and development; or restructuring that involves downsizing, are appropriate times to employ an outside contractor to lessen anxiety and retain good will among the permanent Leadership and Teams.
• Finally, there are those instances where you simply cannot be "a prophet in your own village." Whereupon, an outside contractor can deliver firm--sometimes uncomfortable--messages with a compassionate detachment that internal Leaders may not be able to effectively foster.
• ...and of course I'd like to hear YOUR additional examples.

So you've got a project initiative that your Leadership Team has concluded will best be handled by employing a contract consultant.
YOU will be held accountable for the outcome, for better or for worse.
How best to proceed?

1. List the particulars with clarity in a Contract of sufficient complexity. If you can keep it to one or two pages, great! (If your Attorneys get paid by the word, it may be longer.) Include at a minimum:
• Define the successful outcome that signals the project (and, hence, the contract) have been completely fulfilled.
• Completion Date and any concrete Milestone Dates that must be met.
• Resources that each party will supply to the project.
• Boundaries and process for requesting and approving change orders.
• Billing and payment process.
• Dispute resolution process.
• ...and any additional topics that YOU or your Organization include to guard against due to industry standards or past experience.
2. Meet with the Consultant to discuss the Contract in sufficient detail to confirm that:
• All expectations are mutually understood and there has been a "meeting of the minds."
• Requested changes can be considered for adoption. [Your Consultant may have his/her own standard Contract or may have been advised to modify/add certain terms by his/her own Attorney.]
• Be exceedingly but politely clear that YOU are to be held accountable for the results and will be closely observing the Project's progress.
3. Monitor the Project's progress and meet periodically with the Consultant to:
• Confirm actual progress.
• Openly discuss challenges, limitations, and unanticipated factors that may need to be addressed.
• Provide additional information or remove Organizational roadblocks that will aid the Consultant.
4. Celebrate the successful outcome of the Project! (Who knows...you might even let the Consultant come to dinner...)

It all comes down to constant and collaborative communication and an unambiguous expectation of accountability between YOU and your Consultant. While the Consultant you hire is not an employee or a permanent member of your Team, the leadership style you employ should closely resemble how you communicate daily with your own Team and Leaders and establish accountability amongst yourselves.