Have you heard the true story about how Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comics, pretended to be a management consultant who conned Logitech executives to sing a song about the terrible new mission statement they wrote together in a workshop? It’s a fun, quick read; click here to read the article.
Having been a worker-bee myself for many years, I too have grown suspicious of consultants. But I also know that when judiciously leveraged, they can provide an invaluable service.
Let’s speak frankly for a moment.
Did you ever wish you could ask a superior about a poor decision they’ve made, but you feared getting reprimanded for it? Consultants take that burden for you. They can ask the difficult questions all in the name of “assessments.”
Do you get a lot of pushback and negativity from teammates when you try to affect change? Let the consultant “be the bad guy” that everyone pushes back on. Consultants can push for the changes and reinforce them until they’re part of the default way of doing things.
With all of the initiatives in your organization, how do you have time to do your real job? Let the consultant handle the initiatives so you can concentrate on performing your role.
