Why use a consultant? The second set of eyes!

By Marc Lanzkowsky – January 20, 2010

Ever try and organize your own closet? It should be so easy to get the thing in order yet for some reason it’s very difficult. That is until you bring in a closet organizer to arrange everything in easy to manage sections. Sometimes the only way to truly accomplish a task is to have a second set of eyes. Your operation is very much the same way. There are many reasons to consider a consultant – here are some of my favorites:

• Independence – Plain and simple the consultant has independence. They have none of the political ties nor history within an organization. They are free to ask the sometimes difficult questions and make recommendations that are truly in the best interests of the client.
• Objectivity – It is common for staff to become attached to their organization and procedures. Often ideas come from within and it is human nature for individuals with very good intentions to get emotionally connected to a particular method of doing things. The consultant comes in with no emotional or political agendas and can look at how things are being done with a fresh set of eyes. A good consultant provides an objective, fresh viewpoint–without worrying about what people in the organization might think about the results and how they were achieved.
• Experience -You can’t be an expert at everything. A consultant bring a depth of knowledge based upon the uniqueness of their experience and particular history. For example, I was an attorney, claims handler, claims manager, operations director and builder of a claims department. Given my unique experience I have seen operational issues across the board and can speak to them at multiple levels. Most claims managers come from a purely technical claims handling role and as such may not have spent time addressing organizational ills.

But don’t just take my word for it . According to Entrepreneur Magazine’s Small Business Start-up Guide, here are some reasons organizations hire consultants

• A consultant may be hired to identify problems. Sometimes employees are too close to a problem inside an organization to identify it. That’s when a consultant rides in on his or her white horse to save the day.
• A consultant may be hired to supplement the staff. Sometimes a business discovers that it can save thousands of dollars a week by hiring consultants when they are needed, rather than hiring full-time employees. Businesses realize they save additional money by not having to pay benefits for consultants they hire. Even though a consultant’s fees are generally higher than an employee’s salary, over the long haul, it simply makes good economic sense to hire a consultant.
• A consultant may be hired to act as a catalyst. Let’s face it. No one likes change, especially corporate America. But sometimes change is needed, and a consultant may be brought in to “get the ball rolling.” In other words, the consultant can do things without worrying about the corporate culture, employee morale or other issues that get in the way when an organization is trying to institute change.
• A consultant may be hired to do the “dirty work.” Let’s face it: No one wants to be the person who has to make cuts in the staff or to eliminate an entire division.
• A consultant may be hired to bring new life to an organization. If you are good at coming up with new ideas that work, then you won’t have any trouble finding clients. At one time or another, most businesses need someone to administer “first aid” to get things rolling again.

At the end of the day the consultant can speed change, improve your operation, add value to your organization and truly save your money.