So, you’re considering hiring a consultant, and you may be wondering if this is the direction you want to go. There are many reasons why organizations and leaders hire consultants to improve upon their current state and develop positive actions for the future. Some of these reasons include:

• Leadership and Management Initiatives
• Leadership Coaching
• Change Management Initiatives
• Training for New Skills

As these are just some of the actions being considered by organizational leaders, you may have other reasons and you’re trying to determine if hiring a consultant is the best option for you. While hiring a consultant can be a rewarding experience that may positively impact you and your organization, make sure you’re considering all necessary aspects of this decision as follows:

Hire a Consultant if…

• You’ve exhausted all resources and talents of your organization and still haven’t made the desired progress
• You need to train yourself, leadership, or personnel on new skills
• You’re not seeing the desired behavioral changes in leadership or the organization to increase performance
• You want an outside perspective of your organization that examines the market position and creates a strategic analysis for greater competitiveness
• You’re implementing or realizing organizational change efforts and are experiences a strong resistance to change

Don’t Hire a Consultant if…

• You haven’t given your initiatives full attention or devotion, as even if you hire a consultant you may not have enough information about the situation to build a strong partnership with a consultant
• You’re trying to replace skills or positions in the organization as you should be focused on developing your staff and their skills for future results (you can use a consultant for skill development)
• Your values and those of the organization don’t align with those of the consultant
• You have a difficult time seeing the value in what a consultant provides, as this can fuel unwanted bias throughout a project
• You’re not going to be open-minded to new experiences and realizing potential behavior and priority changes to lay the foundation for success

Since you may be considering the partnership with a consultant, it’s important to gather feedback and insight from your staff if your leading an initiative on behalf of the organization, but make sure the decision sits with the one directly contracting with the consultant. Clouding the air by various needs and wants may be a sure way to create conflict from the get go! Also, use the “To Hire or Not to Hire” Checklist provided here and in the Features, Projects, and Downloads section as a tool in making the decision!

Michael Wagner

Resource