The use of ERP software has nowadays become a necessity in order to be able to face the competitively on the market. This being the case, many companies purchase such software and then implement it. When it comes to implementation, there are a few things that anyone should be aware of. First of all, both technical and functional consultants are needed because the first ones are IT professionals and customize the product as you desire and the other ones are specifying the needs that the software needs to meet, considering the current and future situation in the company.

Technical and functional consultant requirements for ERP implementation include the fact that both consultants need to have a clear image of the purpose of implementing ERP software and on the results that need to be achieved. Implementation begins with the work of the functional consultants. They make a complete analysis of the current methods of handling business processes in the company. It is in their responsibility to provide accurate information to the technical team in order for them to come with effective solutions. Technical and functional consultant requirements for ERP implementation meet in the second phase of the implementation process when all consultants have to gather together in order to come up with the best method of solving current problems and of integrating current processes and databases into the new system. The rest of the work is for technical consultants because they need to test the software and then to hold the necessary trainings in order to make it known to all employees.

Both consultants need to collaborate well in order for best results. This is why technical and functional requirements include the fact they need good communication skills. They need to develop the best practices that will lead to an improvement in the activity of the company. Unless they share the same information and the same vision, this is not possible.

Functional consultants are the ones that have to create appropriate work flows, test scripts, to make a comprehensive analysis of the results and to develop a user manual. The technical consultants rely a lot on the information the functional consultants provide to them. After the functional consultants and the client reach the best solution, the technical consultants are responsible with making it happen. Technical and functional consultant requirements for ERP implementation include the fact that both consultants have experience and knowledge in various fields. Otherwise, they will end up incapable of understanding the clients requirements or incapable of putting them in practice.

The initial consultation may well be the most crucial aspect of hypno-psychotherapy, if not all therapies. Everything from the interpersonal dynamic to the eventual success of the intervention has a basis in this first meeting between the client and the therapist. Indeed, the client’s decision to remain engaged with the therapeutic process will be determined by factors from this early stage. Despite this, it is not possible, or even desirable, to proscribe the process. As a dynamic, evolving interaction, dependent on the individuals involved and the course the therapy is to take, until the consultation begins to take shape it is unhelpful to try to impose too much structure upon it. This view is expressed by the NCHP, as evidenced by the following;

It is, therefore, not possible, or even desirable, to suggest a blueprint which all should follow. (NCHPa)

With this in mind the following discussion will be concerned with one individual’s approach and focus primarily on those features that this author believes are most decisive in fulfilling the aims of a consultation. If it is not wise or helpful to be prescriptive then we can perhaps understand Feltham’s (1997) comment,

“the best we can aim for is practitioners who are honest, conscientious, flexible and experienced enough to offer each client suitably individualised counselling.”

The goal of the consultation is to provide direction for informing therapeutic intervention. At the most basic level there are certain physical factors that are likely to play a role in a successful consultation. For example, a room that is suitably furnished and offers quiet, comfort and provides confidentiality. The exact details will be dependent on the therapist’s style, budget etc and the desires of the client (e.g., temperature, lighting, distance between client and therapist etc).

However, obvious considerations are furniture that is adaptable to a range of positions and for a range of people, which offers a clear view of the client, a room that is welcoming and so forth. Ideally the consultation and treatment would be conducted in two different rooms so that the client associates one location specifically with the hypnotic process.

The next level for consideration is the initial contact between the therapist and client. Here the knowledge and use of basic counselling and communication skills are paramount. The client must feel that s/he is dealing with a professional who is genuinely interested in and accepting of their situation. Thus, greetings (including checking the client’s name and any other identificatory information the therapist already has), timeliness and other aspects, which signal respect and focus, must be incorporated into the first moments when the clients make their initial appraisal.

Throughout the process it is important to maintain these high standards, not only because it facilitates open and honest exchanges with the client, but also good communication skills help to engender rapport. Communication skills are for the most part considered to be natural, however recent work within medicine and dentistry has begun to highlight the importance of developing an awareness of what makes communication work (see Lloyd, 1996; Fielding, 1995). The skills that are considered important for clinicians to develop and be flexible with for fruitful consultations are;

i) Clarity of language

ii) Audibility & enunciation

iii) Eye contact

iv) Non-verbal behaviour

v) Empathy

vi) Methods of questioning

vii) Sensitivity of questions

viii) Greeting and identity check

ix) Introduction of self and role

x) Respect of patient’s views

xi) Clarification and summarising

xii) Checking understanding and closing

During the hypno-therapeutic consultation the therapist would do well to have had practice in these skills and not rely on their belief that as they are a caring individual, that will naturally make them a good communicator. The NCHP suggest that it is necessary to ‘like’ the client (NCHPb). There are certain issues with this, for example, a therapist might be more likely to be seen to be collaborating with a client’s unhelpful thoughts or behaviours, or there may be complex issues surrounding transference during therapy. Equally it might make certain aspects of therapy more difficult to undergo if one’s relationship with a client is based on liking them, rather than respect for them.

It is certainly true that one can like a person without endorsing their beliefs and behaviour however it does make the therapeutic relationship potentially more complicated than necessary. Traux and Carkhuff (1967) suggest that rather than liking the client it is important to communicate empathic understanding, unconditional positive regard and to be ‘with’ the client.

Although the two previously described issues are important, they are basic to most successful human interaction, i.e., a suitable location and interpersonal skills. Without an awareness of these factors it is unlikely that a therapist will progress with a client to the consultation proper. It is the next step where the therapist’s particular skills come to the fore.

The consultation process is concerned with two primary aims; knowing the person and informing the person. The latter is somewhat less involved and aims to ensure that the client has a clear understanding of the therapist, the nature of hypnosis, and the guidelines within which both are framed. Clients need to know that they are dealing with a trained individual, and how that person will work with them.

This means that they should know the therapist’s qualifications (and perhaps even a method of checking them, such as a telephone number or web address) and their particular philosophy or approach to therapy. Some clients may have experience of preferred or disliked therapies. The client also needs to be clear about the nature of hypnosis, what it is and what it is not, issues regarding loss of control, revealing secrets, not coming out of a trance etc. It might be useful to send such information to clients when they make their consultation appointment and then review it during the first face-to-face meeting.

Such an approach also allows for more detail to be provided than might be suitable during the first consultation, for example some history of hypnotism, information regarding the therapist’s background and training etc). Clients should be made aware of issues surrounding confidentiality, what the limits are, and how they will be protected. The order of presentation of this material is important as people tend to remember the things they have been presented with at the beginning and ends of a session, so the description of hypnosis might best be presented last so that the prospective client has good recall of the details of hypnosis whilst considering whether to come back. It is important to ensure that the client does fully understand this information and again good communication skills will facilitate the process of checking whether this is the case.

Regarding confidentiality, it is my opinion that no sources of information should be contacted (e.g., GPs) without the client’s written consent, and no information passed on to others unless (a) the client gives written consent, (b) a court requires it, or (c) information divulged by the client suggests that s/he is planning to harm her/his self or another. At times this might mean that some clients will have to be referred on, or not accepted for treatment if they deny access to information that the therapist believes is necessary, or they cannot accept the guidelines for releasing information.

Assuming that the therapist is now in the company of a seated, comfortable, informed and engaged client it will be possible to begin to get to know the client. It is important that the therapist remembers that there is both a ‘client’ and a ‘concern’, and that the two cannot be separated, nor should they be confused. My preferred approach to this stage of a consultation could be termed “unstructured structure”. In essence this means that there are certain key elements that must be covered in the consultation, but the exact order and manner in which this will be achieved is determined by the flow of the consultation. It also means that the specifics of the questions are for the purposes of this paper, by definition, vague because they must tie in stylistically and temporally with the client.

Most important is the client’s reason for coming for therapy – and it must involve some description of

i) The concern

ii) The motivation for change

iii) Why now

The way in which the client describes these three factors provides much detail. For example, the description of a presenting concern, and the language used to describe it, gives an indication of how the person understands and relates to the issue. Epicetus, the stoic philosopher, stated that people are disturbed not by things but by the views they take of them and this view is embodied in cognitive approaches (e.g., Beck, 1964).

Although one might not wish to use cognitive therapies, or one may not be trained in them, all therapeutic philosophies share this central concept that at some level, whether conscious or unconscious, it is how we respond to our world that determines our control of ourselves within it. The concepts and terms the client uses may point toward a familiarity with certain therapies, including hypnosis, and these may suggest routes for the therapist so that s/he can use the client’s familiarity with these concepts in therapy. That is, the therapist can use the client’s already existing ‘working model’.

The use of language is central to hypnotherapy because we must find methods that can be easily assimilated by clients, which they can understand and respond to. Communicating at the same ‘level’ as the client naturally works in will greatly assist this. Responses to motivation for change and ‘why now’ provide not only extra language information but also insight into how much responsibility the client is taking for change. A person who wants to cease smoking for their own health will be a qualitatively different experience to a client whose partner is badgering them to give up.

Language use and level of responsibility are important because they interact with my philosophical orientation, which is broadly Gestalt. It does not rule out or demand any particular tool, method or philosophical orientation, as these must be determined by the needs and experiences of the client. It does see the therapeutic process as collaborative so that the client appreciates the importance of their active involvement. By being collaborative, therapy will be a transparent, shared process, with a shared agenda and analysis of progress through feedback which the client gradually takes more and more responsibility for through learning self-hypnosis and the use of tapes (where appropriate), and by taking on certain homework tasks e.g., keeping a diary, experimenting with ideas etc.

Having covered these three primary areas it is important to develop a deeper understanding of the client and their concern. This is part of what Palmer and McMahon (1997) have outlined as being the common elements in all assessments.

i) what is the problem

ii) is therapy suitable

iii) is the client suitable (are there contraindications)

iv) what underlies the problem

v) transcultural and gender issues (e.g., differences in verbal and non-verbal behaviour and the recognition that one’s own social/cultural biases (e.g., Ridley, 1995) may influence therapeutic decisions etc.).

In essence we are assessing the fit between a therapeutic framework and a client or presenting problem (e.g., Ruddell & Curwen, 1997). These questions cannot be addressed until the therapist understands the client, unless the presenting problem is one that the therapist does not feel competent or inclined to address.

Often people are not fully aware of the range of factors which can influence their desire to change and those which can be obstacles to change. These factors can be internal or external. It is also useful to contextualise the client, so that the therapist can begin to understand what boundaries there may be in the person’s life that could assist or detract from therapy.

For example, it is important to be sensitive to any disclosures the client might make regarding previous experiences with therapy, early problems that may or may not be what the client sees as a central part of their current concern (e.g., being a victim of physical or sexual abuse, time with mental health issues etc.). Further this extends the exploration of how the person thinks of themselves and their world. Partly it is important to uncover aspects of the client’s personality as there is evidence that compatibility on a variety of personality characteristics is important for the therapeutic relation (e.g., Parloff et al., 1978).

Areas that should be covered here are family and work life, any past, present or continuing problems or difficulties (other than the presenting problem), contacts with other forms of services, and evidence of successes. The issue of contact with previous services contains medical and mental health information so that the therapist is aware of either contraindications for hypnotherapy (e.g., psychotic episodes) or issues that might make certain inductions inadvisable (e.g., asthma). It also includes hypnosis, in case the client has previous experience of hypnosis, whether successful or not. The therapist may be able to discover induction methods that the client is comfortable with, or prefers to avoid, their visualisation capability, IMR etc. If the client has no previous experience then the therapist knows to include specific questions (e.g., favourite ‘safe place’ etc) and even visualisation exercises.

The final area, successes, is important because the therapist may need access to positive material if the client has issues with self-esteem or if s/he plans to link success with the presenting problem with previous successes. It is also useful for the client to know that that are seen as a person with a range of qualities, rather than with a list of defeats, ailments and issues.

Having covered the specific material related to the presenting problem and hypnosis, and the more general areas relating to the individual’s other relevant life experience (and having paid close attention to non-verbal behaviour, language etc) the next step is to focus back to the presenting problem. The therapist needs to know what the precipitating factors are for the thoughts/behaviour that the client wishes to change. Armed with the biographical knowledge, the therapist can supplement the client’s descriptions with specific questions relating to events and situations that the client has previously described (e.g., family, work, past failures, past experiences). This provides useful target areas for change. Additionally the therapist needs to explore the consequences that the client sees as coming from their thoughts/behaviour, both positive and negative as this can inform issues related to a client’s barriers to change, or extra motivations to succeed.

This approach, precipitating factors, behaviours and consequences is found in many therapeutic approaches and is known as ABC (Activating event, Belief (Behaviour), Consequence, e.g., Ellis, 1977).

Part of ABC is looking at underlying beliefs and thinking errors (e.g., catastrophic thinking, dichotomous thinking) which, as the quote from Epicetus suggested, is believed to be the central area for developing problems that a client might wish to change. The reason why these two themes are important is that they identify where hypnotherapy might be useful and how it would be best targeted. For example, if a client comes in claiming to be shy, and they have the underlying belief that they are unlovable that would suggest one course of action, whereas a similar client with a similar issue, but with the thinking error that to overcome their shyness they needed to be assertive and superior at all times would suggest another. The manifestation of the issue under concern cannot be the depth at which the therapist ceases their exploration.

Once the therapist has to their satisfaction gained enough information so that they can form a picture of the client, albeit at a later date, it might be advisable, time permitting, to give the client the opportunity to experience relaxation or mild hypnosis. Particularly in prospective clients who have a fear of the process this might be the aspect that decides if they will engage in therapy.

With the knowledge gained during the consultation the therapist will know whether imagery can be used, and if so what images should be used or avoided. No therapy should be attempted at this stage. It is important for the client to get a ‘feel’ for the therapist and to know if they are comfortable with the methods used, the voice etc. On completion of this (if undergone) the issue of the contact should be raised. Initially the contract should offer a 48-hour period during which the client needs to decide if they want to continue with therapy, with the current therapist, under the framework that the therapist works within.

Also, the client will know the costs and recommended number of visits and can make an informed choice regarding financial commitment, payments, failure to attend etc. The contract should re-iterate the confidentiality clauses, and detail what the client is agreeing to, and cancellation policies etc and provide the client with contact details.

The above description makes it very clear that a detailed consultation will be both time consuming and result in the exchange of much information. Sometimes it is not the explicit information alone which is important but reactions, comments, etc and these tiny details do need to be remembered. How should the therapist do this? There are a number of approaches.

Firstly the therapist might decide to rely on memory, and with practice it is possible to develop the ability to use specific points in a consultation to ‘hang’ other information from, so one remembers a narrative which can later be written down. The alternative is to either take notes or to record the consultation. In the former case there is the issue of attentiveness – is it possible to fully attend to a client and accurately note down all the detail and nuances of a consultation? In the latter there are issues of privacy – how comfortable are clients with the idea that their words are being recorded, even with the knowledge that these recordings will be erased later?

Possibly of all the issues within consultation this is the thorniest. As with other aspects it is probably best to be flexible, and know when one cannot rely on memory alone, and know when one must attend absolutely to the client and thus some mechanical means of recording is required. Although clients might be uncomfortable with being recorded it is likely that they will be less upset with that than with a therapist whose head is constantly in a note pad, or who has remembered some important detail of the life story that the client presented at consultation.

Consultation is neither a science nor an art, but a mixture which must be performed on a social tightrope, where the demands of balance co-exist with the cognitive demands of accuracy in an evolving dynamic. In some sense we know what it is, but essentially we need to know how to do it. However, the complexity, which makes it so engaging, also makes it difficult to define. Perhaps a paraphrased and adopted version of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle is at work here; if you can do a good consultation then you can’t know how to describe it, if you know how to describe it you probably can’t do it.

References

Beck, A.T. (1964). Thinking and depression: II. Theory and therapy. Archives of Genreal Psychiatry, 10, 561-571.

Ellis, A. (1977). The basic clinical theory of rational-emotive therapy, in A. Ellis and R. Grieger (Eds.), Handbook of Rational-Emotive Therapy. New York: Springer.

Fielding, R. (1995). Clinical communication skills. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

Lloyd, M. (1996). Communication skills for medicine. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

NCHPa (1996). Treatment Schedules. National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy, Nelson: UK. p. 1

NCHPb (1996). Treatment Schedules. National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy, Nelson: UK. p. 4
Palmer, S. and McMahon, G (1997) (Eds). Client Assessment. London: Sage.

Parloff, M.B., Waskow, I.E., and Wolfe, B.E. (1978). Research on therapist variables in relation to process and outcome, in S.L. Garfield and A.E. Bergin (Eds.), Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change. “nd Ed., New York: Wiley. pp. 233-282.

Ridley, C.R. (1995). Overcoming unintentional racism in counselling and therapy: A practitioner’s guide to intentional intervention. Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage.

Ruddell, P. and Curwen, B. (1997). What type of help? In S. Palmer and G. McMahon (1997) (Eds). Client Assessment. London: Sage.

Traux, C.B. and Carkhuff, R.R. (1967). Towards effective counselling and psychotherapy: Training and practice. Chicagoe: Aldine.

Decades ago, starting a consulting business required huge capital, extensive logistics, and lengthy planning. Because of these requirements, only a limited number of people were able to start up a business and keep it running profitably. Nowadays, while you still certainly need to put a lot of thought and preparation into any business venture, practically anyone can start their own consultant business as long as the idea and the determination to succeed exist.

These drastic changes in the tools and costs necessary to start a consulting business have paved the way for changes in the business consulting world. Today, if you want to run a business consulting service, you have many more ideas and options to choose from than you did just a few years ago. To help you get started, below are 5 popular and lucrative fields in business consulting:

1. Entrepreneurship

Since more and more people are now putting up their own business, why not take advantage of this trend and start offering consulting services to these budding entrepreneurs? While most people today realize that owning a business can help them rake in a bigger monthly income in addition to their regular salaries, most of them really do not have adequate experience or knowledge in running a business. If you have some expertise in this area, you can help them out and make a good profit at the same time.

2. Computer Consulting

Let’s face it, even in this modern age, there are still a lot of people who are not that computer savvy. With ever advancing technology and software changing the business landscape business owners are actively seeking professionals to guide and support their businesses. From website design to VOIP systems computer consultants have many avenues of expertise for consulting. If you have a genuine interest in all things computer-related, you can earn yourself a lot of money by starting a computer consulting home business that can help old established business bridge the gap with modern technology.

3. Business Communications

If you are skilled in business writing, mediating, or even communicating over the phone, you have a chance of becoming a very successful business communications consultant. Even the best business people today are not necessarily good with communications, which is why they usually hire people to do these jobs for them. Expertise in social networking tools and proper communications methodologies is a bonus.

4. Human Resources

Most companies do have their own human resources department but unfortunately, this department usually only handles simple tasks like hiring of new personnel. For issues like employee contentment and team-building activities, companies usually look to outside sources for help. This is where a human resource consultant will step in. By being a separate and unbiased entity, your consulting firm can effectively help the company sort out whatever problems it may have.

5. Project Management

Project management methodologies and techniques are constantly evolving. With an emphasis on better, faster, and smoother project management consulting is an excellent option for niche consulting. Project management is not limited to typical projects; outside of the box consultants can offer services in managing advertising, photography, event-planning projects. You only need to market your services well and to the right market.

With the state of the current economy in flux these ideas are a good starting point for anyone looking to start their own consulting business. Taking the time upfront to evaluate the options available will ensure a better chance of success for your new business venture.

Today businesses are looking to Consultants more than ever, to help fill their Salesforce development needs. This is understandable when you consider one of the main selling points of using a Software-as-a-Service model, is that it does not require extensive IT resource to run efficiently. However this does not mean that companies will not need knowledge experts along the way, in order to get the most value for their Salesforce investment.

When deciding on a Salesforce Consultant for your organization there are three key areas in deciding if the firm you’re speaking with will be able to meet the needs of your organization. When it comes to choosing the right Salesforce Consultant for your project, you will want to find Effective Communicators, Knowledge Experts and Innovative Solution Providers.

Communication is a two way street! One of the most important jobs of a Salesforce consultant is to be able to listen to and understand what your business objectives are. While you may know what your ultimate goal is, as far as functionality, you are depending on your consulting partner to ask the right questions to ensure these ideas can be translated into designs.

Before any work begins you should be confident that your ideas were properly understood and you should be provided with a documentation of exactly what your consulting partner understands the scope of your project to be. Another key aspect in developing a relationship with a consulting partner is to choose someone that can adapt to change. Business moves quickly and so does your business requirement. Your consulting partner should be Agile enough to be able to make adjustments to minor changes in requirements. Choosing an Agile company will provide flexibility and a happier outcome. Agile companies work on time and materials vs the old requirements heavy waterfall fixed prices. Going with a T&M and Agile methodology will ensure project success but be sure to understand how the company keeps your project on a budget when working in an Agile manner.

Knowledge Experts. When choosing a consulting partner you will want to be dealing with Knowledge experts. While you may not need a full time developer guru, your consulting partner certainly should be providing you with top talent! Salesforce has made it easier for you to find companies with the proper amount of knowledge for your project. Salesforce has broken their certifications of knowledge experts into three tracks, Administrator, Developer and Implementation Experts.

Salesforce Certified Administrators are experts in user management and security, automation of workflow and approvals, as well as the core features of both Sales and Service cloud. Your Salesforce Certified Administrator is your font-line go-to person for managing and maintaining your Salesforce Org.

Force.com Certified Developers are experts in both the declarative, or clicks-not-code, functionality of Salesforce as well as identifying use cases and best practices for building custom applications using Apex and Visualforce. Your Force.com developer partner will be able to provide expert guidance in designing an effective data model, evaluating and configuring your security settings, developing advanced business logic and customizing your user interface.

Implementation Expert -There are two separate certifications that Salesforce offers to demonstrate expertise in providing initial implementations. Certified Sales Cloud Consultants or Certified Service Cloud Consultants have demonstrated their ability to meet the demanding challenges of implementing customer-facing solutions.

Sales Cloud Consultants are able to design Sales and Marketing solutions, Design applications and customize the user interface to increase productivity, and design analytic solutions to track key metrics

Service Cloud Consultants are able to design solutions for businesses that are focused on building long-term customer success. Your Service Cloud Consulting Partner will design Customer Contact Center Solutions that can incorporate key Service Cloud features such as Cases, Customer and Partner Portals, and Knowledge Bases.

Innovative Solution Providers – These combinations of skills and core competencies are the key to a successful Salesforce Consulting Partner. While there are many ways in which to design and implement a Salesforce solution, a successful Salesforce consulting partner will be able to both advise on Best Practices, as well as find innovative solutions that are designed specifically to meet your individual business requirements. Salesforce and the Force.com platform are flexible because all businesses are not the same, and their technology solutions must be equally unique to maximize efficiency.

Company Stability – How long the company has been in business is important! You want to ensure this company isn’t just a “Salesforce boutique company” but a full solution provider for all of your technical needs. If the company has a winning track record and has been in business with more than just Salesforce they have the ability to supply more than just one area of solution. This is an excellent choice in a company because they will have the scalability and in-house knowledge to meet any need you may have. Also, if they have been around for 10 years or more they probably won’t take your money and run or you won’t be finding out that they are closing their doors anytime soon. Ask how large their balance sheet is and insure they have the staying power.

Trustworthy Reputation - Are they having customer satisfaction issues? We certainly hope not! One way to understand is to ask for a non-disclosure agreement right away. Next ask for references so you know who you are dealing with!

With staff sizes and budgets restricted or diminishing, and top executives up and down the ladder under pressure to do more with less each year, many savvy executives are seeking help among the seeming army of consultants of every stripe to get their companies on the profitability track. Are they finding success down that road?

The idea of the consultant is ancient – Egyptian kings and pharaohs had “consultants” with specialized magical talents to advise them and point them in the right direction when governing the masses. King Tutankhamun had one of the greatest PR consultants ever seen, who told him that to the Egyptian people, big buildings mean big power, big statues mean big power – and Tut and other Pharaohs took this to heart and built the pyramids of Giza and other wonders of the ancient world.

Consultants can be used for a variety of purposes, from adding moral support in difficult or uncomfortable political situations, to adding credibility to pet projects in communicating them to Boards or subordinates. The image of the unfamiliar man with the briefcase and the air of confidence in the boss’s office was born out of some particularly sticky board meetings in the 1960s by top executives at a large conglomerate who’s ideas were not being communicated effectively or credibly, and a CEO who’s head was on the block. Once the Board members heard the same message in a different way coming from the consultant, an expert in such matters, they approved the plan and the CEO was spared. The consultant in that case didn’t come up with the idea, he simply communicated it effectively and lent his credibility to the idea.

This practice continues today with great success in companies and organizations across America. Communication by proxy can be used as an effective strategy if a number of conditions are met. One is that the idea or issue must have real merit on its own.

A bad idea is a bad idea, no matter who presents it. Another condition is that the consultant be at least as credible as the staffer to the selected audience. He should be a known, or at least vetted, quantity, with the credentials to back it up. Once those two elements are in place, communication by proxy can be effective in getting new ideas implemented.

Short Term Expertise
Consultants have many other functions as well, and most departments within the organization can find a number of consultants that specialize in their particular areas of functionality to assist them. Sometimes consultants can simply be used as additional manpower, fill-ins for key employees on personal leave, plug-ins providing necessary functionality on short notice for the short term.

These are not temps you can call in for a day or two while someone is out with the flu. They are highly-trained, experienced executives who have been in many different corporate situations and reached a level of comfort with the commonalities in procedures in their area between companies to be effective quickly. They are typically not used in situations where the term is shorter than a month, as the cost of lost opportunity for a stint that short drives the hourly rate beyond the return value.

Expectations in this situation are relatively high, as the consultant is being asked to step into any number of situations already in place and under way, and gather sufficient information from internal sources to keep these projects moving forward effectively, in a very short period of time, but without injecting much of their own influence or changing the direction of the project. This is a tough gig, and successful consultants are to be highly prized and respected for this set of skills that make such performance not only possible but routine. When projects are critical, and the schedule is inflexible for any number of reasons, this may be a good option for mid-size to large organizations.

“Special” Projects
Some organizations use consultants as outboard manpower to plan and implement special projects outside the normal scope of the department or organization, or for projects that are of vital concern to the organization’s success but only come up rarely.

Changing membership databases for a non-profit organization is a prime example of this type of consultant use. An IT or Association Consultant who has been through many such changeovers and data conversions can be an invaluable resource for such a critical undertaking that most organizations only face every few years. Hiring a consultant under such circumstances will expand and extend the organization’s scope of expertise for a short period, and take advantage of specialized knowledge that isn’t needed on a regular basis.

The expense of the consultant is far outweighed by the savings gained by avoiding a misstep in the process and crippling your organization, however temporarily, while the problem is investigated and fixed. The consultant can prevent you from making a poor purchasing decision, and mitigates buyer’s remorse by making the correct match between user and product.

Sometimes that special project requires some specialized expertise in order to allow a “pet” project to be executed properly, and that expertise doesn’t exist in house. If time is a factor, and there’s no time for internal staff to develop that type or level of expertise, a consultant can be an excellent solution. The can work directly with your internal staff, provide the expertise necessary to move the project forward effectively, by-pass the internal chain of command and the inherent internal politics, and propel the project to a successful conclusion quickly and effectively.

Guidelines
There are some guidelines to keep in mind when using a consultant for this purpose.

* When planning to include a consultant in the mix, be sure to make “room” for them both in the budget and in the schedule. There will be some initial ramp up, no matter how short, as they learn to work with the particular in-house players, and assess their individual capabilities. Leave a reasonable time for them to get acclimated and figure out who’s who in your organization.

* Depending on the type of project, the consultant has been hired to provide expertise, advice and specialized services. This often requires change from the status quo, introduction of new ideas, and some assessment of the internal strengths and weaknesses on the team. Take the advice and ideas you’re given and make the most of it. Putting up roadblocks, creating obstacles, withholding information, and rejecting ideas out of hand are all a waste of time and money. You’ve hired him or her as an expert, treat them as such, and listen to them.

* When planning to use a consultant, build into your plan sufficient staff time to manage the consultant, and the money in the budget to implement the ideas they introduce. You’ve hired an expert, but if you don’t leave room in the budget to put into practice the concepts they introduce, you’ve only done half the job. Even if you don’t keep the consultant in the picture during the implementation, you still need to fund the project sufficiently to be successful.

Most good consultants in most fields have learned to work with a bare minimum of supervision or management. If you carefully outline the goals for the project, introduce them effectively to the internal staff, and provide the resources and the communication pathway for them to get accurate, unvarnished answers to questions quickly, they will take the ball and run with it.

In order to keep them from veering too far from what you envision a success to be, some check-ins or milestones for approval should be built into the project schedule. That way you can adjust the course at critical junctures before they go too far off the map. Too many of these can erode the effectiveness of the consultant and doom the project, so avoid the temptation to micro manage. You had the foresight to hire them, now let them do their thing. Too few milestones can lead to some surprises, when the end of the project approaches and the final product is not what you envisioned and you don’t know why. A happy medium and a light touch usually lead to a successful outcome.

Finances
The financial arrangements for consultants vary to some degree, depending upon the industry, the scope and duration of the project, and the nature of the organization. Many work on an hourly rate, which are standardized to some degree based on what the market will bear for the size of the projects, the area of expertise, the reputation of the consultant, and the geographic area.

A Human Resources Consultant will likely charge a small company in Tennessee less per hour for a candidate search than a large company in New York City, and the company’s expectations and needs will likely differ as well. The rate can be negotiated up front, before the project starts, and the terms are often outlined in a binding legal contract. Most Boards insist on such a document in one form or another, to help provide the company some recourse and some protection for both parties should outcome turn out to be less than expected.

Some consultants in certain industries work on a fixed project fee. This is negotiated up front as well, once the scope and extent of their involvement and the size of the project has been agreed upon. A contract is often required for this arrangement as well, with some contracts including an incentive bonus for successful or early completion or for staying under established budget guidelines.

On rare occasion, a consultant will work on a contingency, similar to a tort or personal injury attorney. Especially in forensic financial work, collections, auditing, or tax work, these arrangements exist where the consultant’s fee or payment is tied either directly or indirectly to the money they are able to recover or save the company.

No matter what the arrangement, no matter what the industry, selecting which consultant to work with is a critical step to a successful outcome. A recommendation from a colleague who has used someone for a similar project is a great start. Other sources include your local Chamber of Commerce, and industry-specific trade publication editors. The local College or University department most closely aligned with your industry is also a good source of “experts” in your selected field. Once you’ve gathered a few names, a brief phone interview is always a good idea. That alone can whittle the field down to two or three suitable candidates.

Their availability, and responsiveness will give you an idea as to what they will be like to work with on your project, and you can prepare some industry specific questions to ask, to see how close to your industry and your project they are currently. Once these are complete, a personal interview is in order. This will give you an even better idea as to the character of your candidates and their capabilities. Each candidate should furnish a list of client references, and they should be rigorously checked before making a decision.

Once a decision is made, financial arrangements can be made, and your project can begin.

Consultants can be a vital part of your organization, expanding your capabilities, allowing you flexibility in staffing to meet short term needs, and let you take advantage of expertise beyond the level you are able to train in house. Used wisely and strategically, consultants can help you meet goals, complete new projects, grow your organization and function more efficiently and profitably.