Posted on
March 20, 2017
by admin
-Nambirajan J
Google threw 7,090,000 results, when I searched ‘consultant joke’. It is not a joke. We often cut joke on consultant’s performance at our work places. These jokes are evolved from the poor performances of few consultants. When I looked at my experiences with bad consultants, I found there are five mistakes they usually commit. Let us look at them one by one.
Selling themselves not the solution
Of course, Consultant’s business to sell himself/herself. This will help in getting the business. But only solutions will be everlasting and retain the business. Looking at the profile of consultant, people expect wise solutions for their suffering. Giving training or advising on the periphery may not satisfy all the segments of customer. Solutions result in the scorecard will speak the consultant’s success story. This is not a secret society. Failed implementations will spread fast.
Missing ‘buy in’
Leaving certain technical consulting, majority of the consultants need to work with human. Buy-in is required in getting the results. Some consultants try to implement what they want without customization.Every technical or strategy solution needs good amount of customization place to place. Especially solutions which may affect the human resources like restructuring must be bought in by the affected population. Winning people is important either for implementation or retaining relationship for getting next assignment.
Being Uncle Sam
Often, consultants are professionals turned to be consultants after getting retired or bored with professional work. Some of them are used with hierarchical behaviour comes from prolonged experience and pride. Also some consultants are inducted by the top management influenced by their association. These are the factors make consultants to demand their expectation. Every consultant must realise that he/she is not the employee of the company. Dictatorial implementation will plunge the results.
Giving Up and running away
There is always diminishing excitement from the starting of the assignment till the closure. Definitely bringing the assignment to completion is Himalayan task. There are consultants who are constantly looking for next business. Always new assignment looks lucrative and old assignment is frustrating. Giving up and picking up next one is what failed consultant do. They get the next project or few more projects. Soon market will realise what is inside the basket.
Leaking information
Consultants come across business data which may have trade secrets of the organizations. Unfortunate part is that intentionally or unintentionally sharing the information with other clients. To broadcast their success story some consultants end with sharing such information. Sharing information which may affect the business is unethical. Those consultants lose their credibility, of course their business.
Now it is other way around. I entered ‘traits of good consultant’, it had given 4,030,000 results. There are many good consultants too. Isn’t it?
(Image Courtesy: Diffee)
© Greenmile.
The author is founder at Greenmile consultancy Services Pvt Ltd. At Greenmile, We are committed to provide solutions for organizations in achieving excellence in every business process. We are passionate in networking with diverse industry professionals and utilizing their expertise in bringing excellence. Our highly energetic strategic team has professionals having decades of experience in Chemical, Pharma, FMCG, Automotive, Oil & Gas, IT and ITES. Also our network has access to numerous functional experts. This model works very effectively for us to provide cost effective solutions for any kind of challenges faced in business