How to – Hire a Consultant Whether you are running a small business or directing a department for a multinational company, managers are often faced with the task of brining in outside expertise. Before you do, make sure you have reviewed the resumes of the folks who work for you. You don’t want to spend money on expertise you already have in-house.

Assuming that you don’t have the internal resources to accomplish your objective, you find yourself in the position of needing the experience and knowledge of an external consultant. It won’t matter if their expertise is technical or non-technical; a success can save you time money and headaches and a mistake can hurt your organization and damage you reputation as someone with great business acumen.

DO:

Get a Contract

Have a document that spells out the parameters of the relationship, the timeframe for services, what will happen in the event of a problem (illness, company change of direction, staff or budget), the fee structure, expenses, and payment plan, and confidentiality issues. Make sure the document is signed by both parties.

Check Them Out

Ask for a client list, ask for references, or review samples of their work. Do some homework to make sure you know if how they present their experience is honest.

Know the Going Rate

Don’t assume you know the market for services. Many people hire based on their budget but not based on what good expertise and experience actually cost. Ask around to see if the fees you are being quoted are absurdly high or ridiculously low.

Make Sure They Have Time for You

You probably don’t expect to be their only client, but you do want o make sure that when you need them, you can get them. Ask about availability, the number of clients they are serving when you want to secure their services, and potential conflicts or deadlines.

Make Sure They Understand the Scope of the Project

Take time to be clear about how you see the entire scope of the project, what it might entail, what and whom it impacts, and what it could lead to or result in. Ask a lot of questions and give as much information as it takes for you to both understand all of the implication of going into business together.

Introduce Them Around

Makes rue you take the time to introduce them to staff and anyone they be interacting with. People should understand why someone has been brought in, the role they will play in your firm and your expectations about how people will be interacting with one another.


Success in hiring a consultant means you’ve done the work to get it right every time.

Labels: consultants, contract

  6:41 AM •  0 Comments •

HOW TO – KNOW WHEN TO COACH When things are happening to the Manager’s satisfaction, conducting a coaching session can be one of the most pleasant work-related experiences. As you discuss how well things have been going, you both feel good. The atmosphere is relaxed. It's a great day. You are a competent boss and you feel it. The employee is a good performer and s/he knows it. It is a real pleasure.

On the other hand, if you are not satisfied with their performance, the coaching session can be one of the toughest work situations you ever have to deal with. As you go through the session, all sorts of doubts could start cropping up. Some of the questions that might start running through your head are:

1. Am I clear in my own mind of what his/her job is? Is there a question about the definition of responsibility?

2. Have I made clear to the employee what I expect of him/her? Could there be a problem of communication?

3. Have I gained his/her acceptance of what I have defined as his/her responsibility? Could this be a problem ?

4. Have I fed him/her work according to his/her level of skill? Is this a training issue?

5. Have I given him/her too much work to do? Too little? How would I describe the work distribution?

6. Have I been realistic as to the performance I expect? Have I been clear about work standards?

7. Am I checking up on him/her too much? Could this be an issue of control?

8. Am I treating him/her any different than the others? Am I leaning on him/her more without realizing it? Favoring others?

9. Is s/he turned off? Do I know why?

10. Have I been too hard on him/her? Too much criticism? Not enough "pats on the back" when s/he did a good job? Is it a question of reward and punishment?

11. Has s/he had personal problems I haven't been aware of? Have I been sensitive to his/her situation?

12. Does it have anything to do with his/her relationship to the other workers? Is there an interpersonal concern?

13. Did I give him/her more responsibility than s/he could handle? Not enough? Is delegation the issue?

14. Am I paying him/her as much as the others for the same amount of work? Is there a perception of inequity?

15. Have I seen to it that s/he knows enough to do what I expect of him/her? Is training the problem?

16. Does s/he belong in this kind of work? Is it an appropriate selection?

17. Is s/he just plain rebellious? Is it a disciplinary problem?

18. Does/he have problems I don't know about? Is this a counseling concern?

By this time you are wondering why you ever wanted to be in the position of being a boss in the first place! As more questions and doubts are raised the atmosphere of the session becomes tense. You look at each other and sense the same feeling. Let's get this thing over with and get out of here! It has become quite uncomfortable.

Why Can’t They Get the Job Done?

There are reasons why employees don’t get the job done:

* They don't know how.
* lack of instruction, orientation or training
* improper or lack of feedback

* Something or someone keeps them from it.
* a physical or mental restriction
* not enough time
* wrong materials

* They don't want to....
* previous good work unrecognized
* burn out
* unhappy with manager or job
* poor attitude

Coaching is a directive process by a manager to train and orient an employee to the realities of the workplace and to help the employee remove barriers to optimum work performance. So, if there is a lack of knowledge about the job responsibilities or a performance or attitude problem, the boss should coach the employee.

In the best situation, coaching is a problem solving session between the employee and the boss: "Let's review the work together, establish some realistic goals and evaluate performance accordingly.” The boss emphasizes work performance, not worker characteristics. Both boss nad employee jointly identify problem areas and work together to agree on solutions. The idea is to help employees evaluate the usefulness of their ideas; recognize their areas of weakness; and exploit their strengths. The boss acts as a resource and enabler, rather than as a judge.

Labels: Coaching, leadership

  8:53 PM •  0 Comments •