직원 규모와 예산이 제한되거나 줄어들고 최고 경영진이 매년 더 적은 비용으로 더 많은 일을 해야 한다는 압박을 받고 있는 상황에서 많은 현명한 경영진은 회사를 수익성 궤도에 올려놓기 위해 겉보기에 모든 종류의 컨설턴트 군대에서 도움을 구하고 있습니다. . 그들은 그 길에서 성공을 찾고 있습니까 생기부컨설팅?
상담가의 개념은 고대부터 이어져 왔습니다. 이집트의 왕과 파라오는 대중을 다스릴 때 그들에게 조언하고 올바른 방향을 제시해 줄 전문적인 마법 재능을 가진 “상담가”를 가졌습니다. 투탕카멘 왕은 지금까지 본 최고의 PR 컨설턴트 중 한 명을 두고 이집트 사람들에게 큰 건물은 큰 힘을 의미하고 큰 조각상은 큰 힘을 의미한다고 말했습니다. 투탕카멘과 다른 파라오는 이것을 마음에 새기고 기자와 다른 고대 세계의 불가사의.
컨설턴트는 어렵거나 불편한 정치적 상황에서 도덕적 지원을 추가하는 것부터 이사회나 부하 직원과 소통할 때 애완 프로젝트에 신뢰성을 추가하는 것까지 다양한 목적으로 사용될 수 있습니다. 서류가방을 들고 있는 낯선 남자의 이미지와 상사의 자신감 넘치는 분위기는 1960년대 대기업의 최고 경영진이 자신의 아이디어를 효과적으로 전달하지 못한 CEO와 CEO가 유난히 끈끈한 이사회 회의에서 생겨난 것입니다. 누구의 머리가 블록에 있었는지. 이사회 구성원은 이러한 문제의 전문가인 컨설턴트로부터 다른 방식으로 동일한 메시지를 듣고 계획을 승인했고 CEO는 무사했습니다. 이 경우 컨설턴트는 아이디어를 내놓은 것이 아니라 단순히 효과적으로 전달하고 아이디어에 대한 신뢰를 부여했을 뿐입니다.
이 관행은 오늘날 미국 전역의 회사와 조직에서 큰 성공을 거두며 계속되고 있습니다. 프록시에 의한 통신은 여러 조건이 충족되는 경우 효과적인 전략으로 사용될 수 있습니다. 하나는 아이디어나 문제가 그 자체로 실질적인 장점이 있어야 한다는 것입니다.
나쁜 생각은 누가 제시하든 나쁜 생각입니다. 또 다른 조건은 컨설턴트가 적어도 선택한 청중에게 스태프만큼 신뢰할 수 있어야 한다는 것입니다. 그는 그것을 뒷받침할 수 있는 자격 증명을 가진 알려지거나 최소한 심사를 거친 수량이어야 합니다. 이 두 가지 요소가 갖춰지면 대리 의사소통이 새로운 아이디어를 구현하는 데 효과적일 수 있습니다.
단기 전문
컨설턴트는 다른 많은 기능도 가지고 있으며 조직 내 대부분의 부서에서는 특정 기능 영역을 전문으로 지원하는 여러 컨설턴트를 찾을 수 있습니다. 때때로 컨설턴트는 단순히 추가 인력, 개인 휴가의 주요 직원을 위한 채우기, 단기적으로 단기적으로 필요한 기능을 제공하는 플러그인으로 사용될 수 있습니다.
이것은 누군가가 독감에 걸린 동안 하루나 이틀 동안 호출할 수 있는 임시 직원이 아닙니다. 그들은 고도로 훈련되고 경험이 풍부한 중역으로 다양한 기업 상황에 있었고 회사 간 해당 분야의 절차에서 공통점이 신속하게 효과적이라는 점에 편안함을 느꼈습니다. 일반적으로 기간이 한 달보다 짧은 상황에서는 사용되지 않습니다. 짧은 기간 동안 시간당 요금이 반환 값을 초과하는 기간에 대한 기회 손실 비용이 발생하기 때문입니다.
이 상황에서의 기대치는 상대적으로 높습니다. 컨설턴트는 이미 존재하고 진행 중인 여러 상황에 개입해야 하고 내부 소스에서 충분한 정보를 수집하여 이러한 프로젝트를 매우 짧은 기간에 효과적으로 진행해야 하기 때문입니다. , 그러나 자신의 영향력을 많이 주입하거나 프로젝트의 방향을 바꾸지 않습니다. 이것은 힘든 일이며, 성공적인 컨설턴트는 그러한 성과를 가능하게 할 뿐만 아니라 일상적으로 만드는 일련의 기술에 대해 높이 평가되고 존경받아야 합니다. 프로젝트가 중요하고 여러 가지 이유로 일정이 유연하지 않은 경우 중대형 조직에 적합한 옵션이 될 수 있습니다.
“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.