Outside help Managing your success through thoughtful use of consultants by Andrew F. Hartnett We've all heard the horror stories related to consultants running amok: unrealized objectives, loss of business focus, off-the-shelf solutions, big bucks, credit being taken for "our" work. While a director with a large pharmaceutical company, I even told a few — well, more than a few — stories of this type myself. My stories and the stories of others usually resulted in knowing nods and murmurs of agreement. But disquieting questions would be there, in the back of my mind:
Now I am in the role of organization development/performance consultant. I've had to face these negative perceptions — my old perceptions — of what a consultant is and, just as importantly, the question of why consultants are often perceived as failing to meet the client's spoken and unspoken expectations Over the last five to six years I have decided that, yes, many of the perceptions were based on fact, though some were exaggerated in scope or frequency. Reflecting on my former life, I've had to face the fact that as a client, I was part of the problem and specifically failed to step forward in five key areas: preparation, selection, activation, management and review. Many times, as a consultant, I see how these five areas play a key role in the success of the project, my client and my firm. I now realize how attention to these five areas would have allowed me to better manage and support the consultant/vendor while reducing the cost of the project. Preparation Bringing in consultants and having them figure out why they were called, what they can do and how to measure their success is easy money for them and costly for you. You lose money while they do your thinking for you, and you lose control of the project and its results. Hiring consultants to brainstorm and assess is fine if it is clear why they are there, how they are to achieve their goal and how you will measure the impact of the consultant and the end product. Preparation involves more than creating a request for information or request for proposal. It is broken down into two phases: defining and planning. In the defining phase, you must clearly document and communicate the following:
In the planning phase, you must work with the consulting group to clearly establish delivery dates, milestones, standards for project personnel selection (your project is not a training ground for neophyte consultants; set standards for the people you want on the project, and if you only want Ph.D.s, be prepared to pay extra), communication processes, etc. Many people feel they must leave this entirely to the consultant, but it is a critical component of measuring success and should be done as a partnership. Selection Establishing the business approach, behaviors, skills, knowledge and expectations associated with success before you engage the consultant is critical. Many consultants may have the necessary knowledge, but their skills, business approach, behaviors, etc. may be better suited for a different culture or organization. Consultants specialize and offer specific value. The client needs to recognize that the specific situation, the organizational culture, the project timeline and several other factors are critical to the selection of the right consultant. The consultant affects so much more than the project at hand: your department's reputation, your internal clients' perceptions, short- and long-term goals, etc. Removing barriers and advocating effectively can enhance your department's reputation in many ways. If your company is entrepreneurial and fast-paced, then a consultant who is brash, high-energy and focused only on results may be great. However, this consultant could fail miserably in a more conservative, consensus-driven environment. Activation Preparing the organization with the whys, hows and whats of the consultant's presence (including the goals and objectives he or she is operating under) allows you to better prepare the environment for the consultant to operate and lets you reinforce your role as the manager and owner of the process. The environment in which the consultant will operate needs to be "activated." The client must accept the role of advocate and sponsor for the consultant's presence. If the consultant is seen as fulfilling your mission and there is a well-articulated rationale for his or her presence, the organization itself will help you manage the consultant. For example, if the consultant attempts to meet with others in the organization in a manner or for a reason not in keeping with your purposes, you will be notified of the out-of-bounds behavior. Management Organizational assessment and evaluation of interventions are your responsibility. The consultant may assist, but turning these functions over to the consultant allows him or her to replace you as the owner and manager of the process. The consultant should be focused on design, with your guidance; development, with your input; and delivery, with your support. Many managers are uncomfortable placing appropriate checks and balances on the consultant. In the preparation stage, you designed communication protocols and milestones; adhere to these documents. If the consultant is operating outside of these documents without your approval, stop the behavior or renegotiate based on new circumstances, but under no circumstances tolerate activities that put you, your department, the organization or the project at risk. While leaving the consultant to accomplish the work he or she was hired for, regularly assess your staff, internal clients and project documents to determine progress on the project. If the consultant group is large, have a single point of contact who holds the power to make and implement decisions. This person may seek a peer relationship, which is fine in day-to-day circumstances, but he or she still answers to you. Review If the consultant is allowed to leave without giving or receiving honest feedback, you have both missed an excellent opportunity for growth. As an outside party, the consultant can provide information about your department's operation and internal perceptions of your department, among other things. Because of the consultant's exposure to other clients, he or she can also provide benchmark data. You can provide insight to the consultant into the behaviors, skills and processes that provided you value and those that limited effectiveness. You're on your way to developing a consultant who truly works for you and your best interests. Establish upfront (during the preparation stage) the scope and timing of an after-action review for the project. In some projects, it is advisable to link final payment to this phase. A successful consultant The previous recommendations have been driven by experiences, both good and bad, and the impact of those experiences on my and my clients' ability to be successful. The proper preparation, oversight and active project ownership on the part of the client allows consultants to focus on their role in a manner that enhances their ability to achieve your success. Just as important as achieving the project goal is achieving it in a well-defined manner that enhances you, your department and the organization as a whole. PR Andrew F. Hartnett is a certified performance technologist and president of Downingtown, PA-based Symmetry Consulting Inc. He can be reached at (610) 518-9044 or via e-mail at andy@symmetryconsulting.org Posted by pharmrep.com. Originally published in the June 2003 Pharmreponline. Copyright 1999-2003 Pharmaceutical Representative Magazine. |