As Francis Urquhart, the prime minister in the British TV series, House of Cards, would say, “Some may think that sacking the consultants has solved the problem, others may say that the problem has just begun. You may think that; I cannot possibly comment.”
Changing consultants midstream is no different than bringing in a new surgical team halfway through a complex operation. It is a last resort that will be prone to failure and cost you more in the process.
The business world is a very small place; it pays to terminate a relationship equitably and fairly. Always have a termination clause stating that you can terminate the contract and take over without penalty as long as adequate notice is given and fees are paid up to date. This can and sometimes should be seen as a compliment to the consultant for transferring knowledge quicker than expected.
Talk rather than send letters or emails; they can follow, and should come out of the discussion in face to face meetings when you lock everything down.
If the relationship is beyond repair, treat the closeout as a negotiation. Look to give the consultant concessions that do not cost you much. Look to end it in a win-win solution. I can recommend Harry Mills’s book, Negotiate: The Seven Step Master Plan.
Celebrate the finish
I am a great believer in celebrating finishes and do not forget to invite the consultants to the party.
Pre Assignment Check |
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| 1. Do we have the resources to implement the project? |
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| 2. Do we have a receptive environment assisting consultants with their delivery? |
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| 3. Have we a successful track record in projects this size? |
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| 4. Does the SMT have a serious condition of Attention Deficit Disorder? |
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| 5. Is the project one of these high risk ones: |
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| a. A project where management does not have a clue of what is involved? |
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| b. Complex project where management and the consultants do not have a clue? |
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| c. A project that is run by egos rather than project management expertise? |
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| d. A project involving a take-over or merger? |
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| e. A reorganization project? |
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| 6. Have we organized training for the SMT to cover any lack of understanding of the project? |
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| 7. Do the SMT have adequate project management expertise? |
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Consultant Selection |
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| 8. Have we invested one day for every $50,000 on the selection process? |
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| 9. Have we hired a consultant to help in the selection process? |
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| 10. Is there a personality fit between the consultants and the in-house team? |
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| 11. Have you locked in the best selection for the team – local staff may be promoted ahead of a national expert from another office? |
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| 12. Have we created a short listed of consultants based on reputation? |
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| 13. Have we reference checked all short listed consultants? |
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Set Up of Assignment |
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| 14. Having made the selection have you re-interviewed a couple of previous clients to better understand how the consultants work best? (they may not realize it themselves) |
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| 15. Have we organized the ”Think Tank” project start at the consultant’s offices? (One to two day workshop where the consultants have the chance to impress and start the project running) |
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| 16. Have we organized decent facilities for the project team? |
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| 17. Have we got the SMT behind the project? (maybe more selling is required) |
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| 18. Have we agreed on the project format? (it can be a very costly and low value part of the assignment) |
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| 19. Have we locked in their experts so they cannot be sold on other assignments? (we expect Pat will spend xx days on this assignment) |
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| 20. Have we got full control of the project in-house? |
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| 21. Do we have a ratio of two in-house staff to one of theirs? |
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| 22. Are we able to create a win -win? (make it known from the start you are happy to be a reference site) |
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Use of Technology |
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| 23. Does the technology, to be used on the project, have a long expected shelf life with the organization? |
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| 24. Are we maximizing the applications that are available from the Information technology team? |
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Meeting etiquette and progress reporting |
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| 25. Have we asked for biweekly or weekly invoices so we can keep track of costs? |
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| 26. Are we getting regular presentations on progress? ( via PowerPoint and keep them informal so the consultants do not burn too much time here) |
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| 27. Have we checked to ensure that progress reporting is only taking less than 5% of project time in any given period? |
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| 28. Have we kept to the original term of reference unchanged ? |
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| 29. Have we considered bringing in an independent consultant to evaluate progress? (recommended on all those complex assignments) |
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| 30. Are we controlling the project by quadrants? |
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| 31. Are we marketing success stories of the project to staff? (via the intranet) |
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| 32. Are we ensuring that the in-house team do all the presenting? (keep consultants in the background unless they are figure heads that the project needs to obtain credibility) |
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End of Assignment |
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| 33. Have we invited all parties to the celebration? | |
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| 34. Have we sent a thank you note to the consultants? |
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| 35. Have we sent a copy of the post project review to the consultants? |
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Next steps
- Read the book “The Definitive Drucker” by Elizabeth Haas Edersheim, it will help you understand the master and help with all your work as well as consultant based projects.
- Send me an email and I will send you a checklist to remind you of the many steps you need to do to handle consultants properly
- Celebrate every success the project has, no matter how small, it will create an impetus.
- Remember the rule of three when assessing how long you will need the key consultants
- Put more time in selection of the consultants and reap the benefits