Today's breathless pace favors independent consultants
At 4:45pm yesterday I got a call from a client I hadn't heard from in a few months. Almost out of breath, he says "Can you be here Monday?" Well, that's rather like asking monks whether monasteries are a good idea. "Of course!" I said. Client says "OK, gotta run."
What to think about such planning? I happen to know that this person (a pleasant and considerate fellow) has recently been drop kicked into a greatly expanded job. He has a long todo list plus technical fires to put out almost hourly. Plus, he has a family. So, would he like to do a better job planning? Certainly. Is he at the edge of what he can do? Probably close to it.
While we all have concerns about the mind-numbing pace of managerial jobs today, we nonetheless have to handle problems right now--in ten minutes, two floors down. As a religious friend of mine once said, "no rest for the wicked and the righteous don't need any." So how can my client relieve this stress? Answer: throw stuff over the fence to a trusted implementer.
That's where the independent consultant has the advantage. Think about what the client does NOT have to do when using a reliable outsider: (a) handholding and motivational discussions (b) employee evaluations (c) listening to a litany of complaints, some legitimate, some trivial (d) worrying about training (e) evaluating any issues related to rank and hierarchy--do Sally and Fred, equal performers, have the same size office, cube or laptop? (f) the list goes on and on.
When I go in on Monday, I'll have to catch my client. Maybe he is walking fast for his first bio break of the day. I can grab a minute of his time as he walks down the hall. A leisurely repast at a conference table with coffee and donuts (or breakfast tacos in Texas) is not likely. Frustrating for me, certainly. But that is exactly why I got the call. The real message to me is "Figure it out, dude. Don't take my time unless there's no other way to move forward."
The fourth dimension is time. When you are engaged by clients, they pay twice--once in your hourly or project rate and again in minutes and hours of their time. Your rate is objective and explicit. But how much of a "time sink" you are depends on how you work. You'll almost never hear it said directly, but the first commandment of consulting work is "thou shalt not consume the client's time without a damn good reason."
So here's the bottom line: Clients pay in two coins-- money and time. Demand as much money as your reputation will bear. But be frugal with client time. They'll notice.
At 4:45pm yesterday I got a call from a client I hadn't heard from in a few months. Almost out of breath, he says "Can you be here Monday?" Well, that's rather like asking monks whether monasteries are a good idea. "Of course!" I said. Client says "OK, gotta run."
What to think about such planning? I happen to know that this person (a pleasant and considerate fellow) has recently been drop kicked into a greatly expanded job. He has a long todo list plus technical fires to put out almost hourly. Plus, he has a family. So, would he like to do a better job planning? Certainly. Is he at the edge of what he can do? Probably close to it.
While we all have concerns about the mind-numbing pace of managerial jobs today, we nonetheless have to handle problems right now--in ten minutes, two floors down. As a religious friend of mine once said, "no rest for the wicked and the righteous don't need any." So how can my client relieve this stress? Answer: throw stuff over the fence to a trusted implementer.
That's where the independent consultant has the advantage. Think about what the client does NOT have to do when using a reliable outsider: (a) handholding and motivational discussions (b) employee evaluations (c) listening to a litany of complaints, some legitimate, some trivial (d) worrying about training (e) evaluating any issues related to rank and hierarchy--do Sally and Fred, equal performers, have the same size office, cube or laptop? (f) the list goes on and on.
When I go in on Monday, I'll have to catch my client. Maybe he is walking fast for his first bio break of the day. I can grab a minute of his time as he walks down the hall. A leisurely repast at a conference table with coffee and donuts (or breakfast tacos in Texas) is not likely. Frustrating for me, certainly. But that is exactly why I got the call. The real message to me is "Figure it out, dude. Don't take my time unless there's no other way to move forward."
The fourth dimension is time. When you are engaged by clients, they pay twice--once in your hourly or project rate and again in minutes and hours of their time. Your rate is objective and explicit. But how much of a "time sink" you are depends on how you work. You'll almost never hear it said directly, but the first commandment of consulting work is "thou shalt not consume the client's time without a damn good reason."
So here's the bottom line: Clients pay in two coins-- money and time. Demand as much money as your reputation will bear. But be frugal with client time. They'll notice.
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