| 1. |
First, ask the consultant if he
or she specializes in business strategy development and implementation. Many
consultants list a number of "specializations" including (but not exclusive to)
business strategy. I've met consultants who mix business strategy consultation with
operations management consulting, human resource consulting, and executive recruiting.
You'll want a consultant who is truly expert in business strategy development and
implementation. Look for specialization. |
| 2. |
Ask the consultant how long
he's been in practice. Not that a consultant who's been in practice for only a
few years might not be very good. He might. But your odds are far better if you go with
experience. And it isn't just the experience of helping clients in his specific area of
expertise. It's also the experience of having helped numerous clients manage through
economic downturn – and having managed their own practice through at least one
recession as well. Look for a consultant who's been in practice right through the last
(preferably the last two) economic downturn(s). |
| 3. |
Make sure the consultant has
worked with clients in a variety of industries. The broad experience will enable
him to "pull" ideas from various environments in working on your assignment.
Also, his working in a number of industries will help to avoid the conflict of interest so
often faced when a consultant serves a number of clients in only one or two industries. |
| 4. |
Ask if the consultant will
work with your managers in developing a solution. Or if he’ll go off
on his own to develop a solution he'll later deliver to you? Remember, the best strategy
in the world is useless unless it's implemented. And it will be implemented only if your
managers care about it. Because your manager's commitment is critical, you'll want a
consultant who will work in partnership with them. So even if the solution you
ultimately adapt was initially the consultant's suggestion, his working in partnership
with your management team assures that it also becomes "theirs." |
| 5. |
Ask the consultant about his
philosophy regarding his own consulting services. Will he eagerly work on your
behalf so that his contribution will actually strengthen your management team? So when his
assignment is complete, your managers will be stronger than they were prior to their
association with the consultant. |
| 6. |
Ask the consultant, "Are
you the person who will actually work on this assignment? In larger consulting
firms, it's the senior partners who typically sell the assignments and the junior
partners who later conduct the assignments. While this generally isn't a problem
with smaller consulting firms, you should ask this question just to be sure. |
| 7. |
Ask about the consultant's
professional affiliations. The certifying body within the management consulting
profession is The Institute of Management Consultants. IMC offers the designation
"Certified Management Consultant" (CMC) to those who fulfill specific
professional requirements. Also, IMC holds its members to a strict code of professional
ethics. |
| 8. |
Ask the consultant if he's
willing to furnish client references. He should. In fact, I've never heard of a
consultant who wouldn't do so. If you find one who won't - for whatever reason - say
"good-bye" to him immediately. |
| 9. |
Finally, ask yourself the
question, "Am I comfortable with this person?" And trust your
intuition. Aside from his experience, his client references and his certification, are you
comfortable with the consultant as a person? This is extremely important. For the
most successful client-consultant relationships are developed by people who simply enjoy
working together. So be sure you feel "right" about the consultant you select. |
