Consultancy Myths

I’ve been quiet for the past few months. Things are hectic and I’m trying to hold down a new job, two small children, a marriage and a drinking habit – what can I say.

I recently departed development for management – a big step for me. I feel like I’m lost, waiting to be found at the moment. There are many reasons for the change, too many to list here; you’ll be relieved. Towards the end of my old life I was beginning to reflect on the role of consultants. I was and still am (to a degree) a consultant and over the past few years I’ve had the opportunity to gain an insight into some of the myths of consultancy and also some of the things I would want from a consultant if the shoe was on the other foot, which it now is. So here are some random ramblings about consultancy, in part inspired by Scott Berkun‘s ‘Calling bullshit’ posts.  I should also say that this is my myopic view based upon about 10 years in the GIS consultancy game.

Oh, I nearly forgot I also should thank my western beer buddies for an inspiring chat a few weeks ago.

1. Consultants know everything

Bad consultants act like they know everything, good consultants will tell you when the don’t. Learn to sniff out the bullshit. As a consultant I know where my strengths lie and I want to be the first to direct a client towards the right person should I not know the answer. I remember a proposal I once wrote for a client which was reviewed by a colleague of mine. In the proposal I had ruled a piece of work out on the basis that it was outside of the realm of our company profile, expertise and experience. Upon review my colleague suggested that ‘we should never say we can’t do something which a client requests’.  This ‘know it all’ consultancy is also very tiring for anybody who has to be on the receiving end because bad consultants, those who know it all, invariably love the sound of their own voices which is exhausting for those poor souls in the room having to listen.

In my experience I may have done something many times, but I rarely know everything – each project and client brings a new set of challenges. An implementation of the same software can be vastly different across two clients whose environments and processes differ.  What’s important is having consultants on your team who can navigate your differences using their skill and experience.

2. Divorcing responsibility

I am continually amazed by how many clients believe their job is done once the tender is awarded – its the most dissatisfying experience to arrive on site and feel like you’re expected to pull the rabbit from the hat without ever asking a question. I’ve never seen a project succeed when a client divorces responsibility from the project they’ve hired the consultant to deliver.  If you’re bringing in a consultancy practice to deliver a project and you’re expecting to leave them in a dark room and shut the door, then think again. Consultants are often specialists so they don’t necessarily see the whole, make sure you are around to fill in the gaps – you’ll make you’re investment go a whole lot further.

3. Bad consultants agree with you

A good consultant will challenge your assumptions and ask hard questions. But you don’t just want to hear that, so at the same time a good consultant will help you move towards a solution. The important point here is ‘help you’. I don’t necessarily want to have a consultant on staff full time – they’re expensive for one thing, so keep that in mind and have an expectation that a good consultant should tell you where you’re going wrong as well as guide you to corrective action.  Expect to be challenged, if you’re not looking for this, just hire some low cost yes-man and give yourself a pat on the back – you’ve done a great job. Well done.

4. Try before you buy

Don’t be afraid to try before you buy. Any consultant worth their weight will give you a little of their time so that you can understand who they are and what they’re about. Not all consultants will be a good fit for your organisation, team or project so its worth doing this – no in fact you should insist on this.  I want to at least chat to the consultant who will be working with my team, I want to know what other work they’ve been doing, what experience they have in the particular area I am interested in, and most importantly whether they are someone who can bring options to the table. Do your homework and don’t be afraid to make some calls and find out what others have experienced. A little effort up front can save you some sheckles.

5. Fix pricing is nonsense unless you’re building a shed

I generally think fix pricing is nonsense unless you know your dimensions very well. In my experience projects invariably lack requirements that constitute accurate dimensions making it very difficult to estimate and fix price. Consultants will add ‘fat’ because they know this, you know this to, so why do it. I know, I know, ……….your organisation has a policy…but try and convince whoever needs to be convinced that there are alternative models out there, which can be much more cost effective. Fix pricing can often lead to mis-trust and scope wrangling because the default position is one of risk mitigation – look at negotiating a good T&M rate and regular short iterations which allow you to monitor your costs and direction.

If you ever find me in your midst, make sure you call me out on these things