We often find our clients and potential clients stuck in a quandary. They tell us “we want to do something on sustainability/csr but we’re not sure what and we’ll call you when we’ve worked it out.” It is hard work persuading them that “we can help you with that.”
The fear is that they would be putting their future in someone else’s hands and who knows what that might mean. Here’s some reasons to master that fear:
1. The biggest value a consultant can bring to an organisation is strategic direction in unfamiliar territory. Sustainability is a great case in point – it is uncharted territory for most organisations, so why not get someone experienced in to advise on the big picture, rather than try and work it out from scratch?
2. Any consultant worth their salt will work with the client to identify the overall aims, objectives and approach, rather than try to apply a “one size fits all” template to everyone. This means you get the solutions that work for you.
3. Consultants are much more effectively utilised as “expert advisors” than “hired hands”. If you don’t know where you are going, that’s when you need advice. If you know what you want, and how you want it done, you should implement it internally – employing a consultant to do it makes no sense unless there is a particular skill or process required (and usually then you can fish at the ‘commodity’ end of the market – eg for ISO14001 implementation).
Want advice on employing a consultant? We can help you with that!