In these tough economic times, more displaced workers are considering private consulting instead of nine-to-five work as an employee of someone else. I strongly advise a lot of research and preparation before taking this leap to ensure that your new career is as rewarding to your clients as it is to you.

Consulting is one of those professions with a mixed reputation depending upon the practices and ethics of those who practice it. Accordingly, the recipients of consulting services either praise expert advice and insight, or complain about high priced advice that is not very useful. Here are my views on what makes for good and bad consulting.

GOOD CONSULTING

Let’s start with the good … as a court management consultant with considerable experience in the field, I’ve learned to apply a few rules and practices to help ensure successful conclusions and happy customers. Here are a few:

Put yourself the client’s shoes – It sounds trite, but it’s true. If you’ve never been on the receiving end of a consulting engagement, it’s hard to envision how it feels. The difference between a client thinking that you “get it” versus thinking you’re clueless often rests on how you approach your work. Try to be helpful, do no harm and produce results that are tangible and solve real life problems. It sounds easier to do than it is.

Act like a practitioner – Some engagements seek an academic study in which current processes are extensively documented and research is provided as to possible solutions. However, it is a mistake to approach all engagements as if they are college research projects that produce lengthy narratives on what the client should already know about the current situation. As a court manager, I wanted a consultant to cut to the chase and start fixing my problem rather than telling me about the jurisdiction and demographics of my court.

Gear solutions to the readiness of the organization – Let’s be truthful … not all organizations are optimal performers. Crafting solutions that are beyond the capability of a client to successfully implement is a waste of time and effort. Conduct an honest assessment of the organizational readiness of your client to ensure that the level at which solutions are geared is in sync with the likelihood of successful implementation.

Under promise and over-deliver – This is easier said than done, but it is critical to a satisfactory outcome to refrain from over promising. What makes it even better is if a consultant goes the extra mile or produces more than the scope of work or contract requires in order to please. Excellent reputations are built on this practice.

BAD CONSULTING

OK, you heard the good … here is the bad. Some of these were gleaned from TechRepublic.com, a favorite source for consulting advice:

Act like staff is in your way – Try to remember that it is you intruding on staff when you are conducting a site visit and not the other way around. Acting like you’re a big shot, your time is more valuable, and your disruption of workflow is taken for granted are disastrous formulas and just plain bad manners. It is much better to ramp up your listening skills and engage staff into identifying problems and vetting solutions.

Be a boor – It is unacceptable to bring to a work assignment your personal views on religion and politics, and it is never acceptable to flirt or introduce sexual connotations. The first faux pas exhibits bad survival skills; the second is grounds for civil liability by creating a hostile work environment.

Lack transparency – Whatever minor satisfaction is derived from acting mysteriously or giving the client the impression that you will reveal your findings at a time of your choosing, is far outweighed by the clients right to know how your engagement is going and what the likely outcomes will be. Always telegraph your intentions and always give an exit interview to key contacts so they know what to expect. If your proposed solutions are not workable, you are better off knowing that earlier rather than later.

Copy and paste – When I first started as a consultant, I assumed I could easily copy and paste responses to bid invitations and final reports from my previous engagements. I soon found out that every project is different and rarely can one narrative easily fit multiple circumstances. A limited amount of sharing “lessons learned” is inevitable, but copying and pasting whole portions of previous products is unwise, unethical and can be downright embarrassing if you’re so lazy as to fail to remove the previous client’s name and references from the content.

How do you meet other consultants to share ideas? It’s easy … join and become active in the Redwood Technology Consortium.

Crawford is president of Justice Served, a court management and technology consulting firm working with courts and justice agencies worldwide. He is an active member of the Redwood Technology Consortium and serves on the Humboldt #1 Fire Protection District Board of Directors.

Copyright 2010, Eureka Times-Standard Newspaper. The print version of this article first appeared in the 2/18/10 edition of the Times-Standard.