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After consideration of all the above ask yourself the following:

n The last time that we brought consultants in on a project did they
fail?

If your answer is “yes”, even a doubtful “yes”, it is essential to take a long
cool look at why they failed.

n What specifically went wrong?
n Did the consultants lack competence?
n Where you or they uncertain of the necessary outcomes?
n Did they send “boys” to do a “man’s job”?
n Did you try to do the job “on the cheap”?
n Did you fail, for whatever reason, to establish and maintain

managerial control?
n Were there too many meetings and not enough action?
n Did the consultants withhold bad news?
n Did they try to “report over your head” rather than confront you if

the problem lay at your door?
n If you hire consultants again what will you do differently?

If any subordinate has responsibility for deciding whether to employ
outside help you may wish to ask him or her the questions rather than to
just mull them over yourself, but they need to be seriously considered.

Interviewing consultants

If you are face to face with a prospective consultant that knows the busi-
ness they will try to interview you. They will ask, and they have excellent
reasons for asking:

n Have you used consultants before?
n What did you like about the experience?
n What did you dislike?
n What would be your ideal outcome or solution to this assignment?
n What do you regard as being practically possible?

The consultant’s reasons for these questions should be:

n If you have used consultants before you will be more inclined to
use consultants again – indeed some people, particularly in
government, become “consultant junkies”. If you do not use
consultants as a rule, they know that they must make clear to you
not only the value of using their services, but of using consultants
in general.

When others have the answers 217