I’ve been doing formal consultation since 1989, when I started Educational Consultants. The venture achieved all the goals I had for it, including covering the college tuition for the boys. While success is its own reward, there’s a downside to it also. The traveling got old pretty soon, for one thing. I’m in the process of reconsidering how long I want to continue. Lately I’m turning down more offers and invitations than I’m taking on. Some of that has to do with the new job, but some of it is that my interests may be changing.
In the midst of the process of this discernment I’m reviewing some of my early files on consulting. I came across the following in one file:
Top Ten Things You’ll Never Hear from a Consultant
10. You’re right; we’re billing way too much for this.
9. Bet you I can go a week without saying “synergy” “paradigm,” “outside the box,” or “value-added”.
8. How about paying us based on the success of the project?
7. This whole strategy is based on a Harvard business case I read.
6. Actually, the only difference is that we charge more than they do.
5. I don’t know enough to speak intelligently about that.
4. Implementation? I only care about writing long reports and proposals.
3. I can’t take the credit. Larry in your marketing department came up with the idea.
2. The problem is, you have too much work for too few people.
1. Everything looks okay to me.
Which is why i would probably stink as a consultant. I could see myself saying several of those things.