external consultants: your new best friends? dr simon n davey managing associate...
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External Consultants:Your New Best Friends?
Dr Simon N DaveyManaging Associate
Preponderate.networkwww.preponderate.net
www.preponderate.net
We’d love to… but we don’t have time…
"Here comes Edward Bear now, down the stairs behind Christopher Robin. Bump! Bump! Bump! on the back of his head. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming down stairs. He is sure that there must be a better way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment to think of it.“ – A.A.Milne
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What is an external consultant?
They work for someone else They have an ‘outside’ view They tell it like it is They earned the right to be called a ‘consultant’
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Why use external consultants?
Experts in specific issues Previous experience Different perspective NOT Someone to blame when it goes wrong
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What makes a good external consultant?
Empathy Experience Expertise Credibility Someone you feel comfortable with
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The Trusted Advisor
Evidence of competence Evidence of experience Evidence of interest in you and your organisation A good attitude towards work (professional and
friendly) “Olu fast became a friend and trusted advisor”
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Where do you findgood consultants
Recommendations from people you trust ‘Trusted’ directories e.g. NCVO Recommendations from organisations/media you trust Making contributions to groups/charities/issues NOT usually out of the phone book Consultants are like children – don’t get one in a hurry
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How do you select a consultant
Take recommendations and do background research Make shortlist of candidates Invite them to ‘tender’ (they’ll need a good brief) Interview the strongest candidates Decide which ones ‘fit the bill’ (group decision) Agree a workplan/fee structure Sign on the dotted line
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How do you get the best out of them?
Know what you want Brief them well (provide as much detail as possible) Agree the project in writing Communicate well – be honest, constructive and easily
contactable Don’t be defensive if you hear something you don’t like Hold review meetings and keep an eye on progress Don’t interfere!
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Telling them what you want
Agree with colleagues/management that this is what you really want
Agree tangible deliverables Brief the consultant (a good consultant will shy away
from something he/she cannot do) Badly briefed consultants fail regardless of ability/effort Keep in close contact with the consultant during the
project Never, ever, ignore your consultant’s questions!
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Bite Sized Chunks
Keep it simple Start small and work up Don’t expect a new consultant to know your needs
overnight Get success in early (use staged targets) Break the project into bite sized chunks
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It’s a Partnership
Menage a trois You, them and the project Take responsibility
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Issue Management
If you don’t like them, don’t hire them If you don’t trust them, don’t hire them If they mess up once, work it out If they keep messing up, sack them “Nearly finished” x3 = “we don’t have a clue what we’re
doing” Always have a back up plan
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But you’re only a charity
Beware the ‘favour’ (Some) consultants do have heart What effect will a ‘discount’ have on service? Get someone with experience of the sector Don’t mix volunteering and paid consultancy with same
consultant
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Beware The Wonder Consultant
No one is perfect No one knows everything Cheap isn’t better Good consultants rarely give it away
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Beware the Gifted Amateur
What have they done before? Who have they done it with? Is this sufficiently similar to this job? Do they have the time and resources to do the job? Are they credible? If you’re worried now, you’ll be petrified later
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Good Projects Sometimes Fail Anyway
IT projects rarely work to expectations Successful IT projects are a result of technical,
strategic, management and partnership excellence You get back what you put in You can never guarantee success
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Case Study: Success
Good brief with tangible, understood, deliverables Well chosen consultant with good skills match Effective partnership from first meeting Close working relationship Effective issue management SUCCESSFUL project
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Case Study: Failure
Good brief with tangible but misunderstood deliverables
Well chosen consultant with good skills match Partnership good at first but breaking down Arms length working relationship Scope creep Miscommunication around issue management FAILED project
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How to make every project fail
Forget the brief and just get on with it Don’t tell them what you want and why Pick the cheapest person for the job Demand it’s done in half the time it should take
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Why do Consultants Mess Up
Overcomplicated projects Bad management/communication Mismatch of expectations Bad day at the office Maybe they weren’t so great anyway
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Fitting square pegsinto round holes
Don’t ask Jonny Wilkinsonto win a penalty shootout inthe FOOTBALL World Cup
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Q&A
Why/what can’t you do yourself? What are external consultants good for?
Aren’t they all profiteers? Experiences…
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Preponderate.network
"A network of consultants and professional firms providing complete project solutions to businesses, charities and the public sector whilst supporting the
local communities in which they work."
Dr Simon N Davey Managing Associate
E: simon@preponderate.net - T: 0705 018 8707
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