February 2008
Hiring Consultants: Why, When, and Whom?
Occasionally in the course of our work with clients, we find that they need certain consulting services that we at Win Win do not provide. Nonetheless, our clients still look to us as trusted advisors: We help them clarify their needs, consider their options, and navigate the world of consulting possibilities. We can tap our broad network of professional relationships to help our clients identify, evaluate, and select the resources most suited to their needs; in particular, we can recommend appropriate consultants and arrange for our clients to conduct "informational interviews" with them. Many times our clients find great value in just going through this comprehensive, well-ordered process.
Using consultants when it is appropriate is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of wisdom and thus strength. We often distinguish between working in your business and working on your business. Working in our businesses is what all of us are good at; that is our expertise. Working on our businesses requires a very different skill set and a focus that competes with the demands of our day-to-day responsibilities. Often, consultants can more effectively and efficiently help us work on our businesses.
Even an organizational consulting firm such as Win Win sometimes uses outside consultants, to help us work on our own business. Over the past couple of years, we have grown and evolved; we now realize that we have outgrown our image and the information on our Web site. To remedy this, we have been working with a firm who has helped us create a Strategic Road Map® for our marketing communication program and for the launch of our new Web site, logo, and key art next month. So please take note of this month's newsletter and our Web site, and compare them with what you will see next month -- when we will tell you more about our experience with our image makeover and introduce you to our consultant!
If you would like a "thought partner" as you consider using consultants of any specialty, please give us a call. In addition to providing consulting services, all our principal consultants have significant previous experience employed in organizations and hiring outside consultants. Win Win Workplace Solutions provides expert consulting services to help you plan, grow, develop, and refine your organization; and we have access to an extensive network of top-flight consultants for you to consider.
This month's featured article, by Toni Roldan, provides insights into the need for consultants and factors to consider in hiring the right consultant for your organization.
Rick and Gail