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Those who can – often consult
Somewhere along the line over the past few years, the concept of “consultant“ took on a negative connotation. We’ve all heard the cliche “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach; those who can’t teach, consult.“ In fact, there are some fabulous teachers out there who “do“ quite well, thank you, as well as a host of consultants who are providing valuable services for individuals and small and large businesses.
Some confusion may exist today because the word “consultant“ has been assumed by a number of employers. Fashion consultants have replaced sales clerks, and computer consultants may be marketing reps. There’s nothing wrong with either, but in business the term takes on a deeper meaning.
A business consultant or consulting firm is an entity contracted by a person or company to solve a specific problem or address a more general situation. Whether it’s software or soft skills, a consultant may be brought in to analyze a company’s needs and make recommendations, or to examine operations and determine where costs can be cut across several departments. Consultants may be called in when a conflict occurs, or a new opportunity surfaces.
The key difference between a consultant and an employee is that the consultant has no political or vested interest in one solution over another. Companies pay for this objectivity. The consulting party is brought in to use its expertise for a defined amount of time and make a recommendation. Most consultants do not perform the actual work required to implement the solution. This aspect of consulting has been criticized, but in fact can work in the contracting firm’s favour.
In some cases, the contractor may want consulting services and the work itself done by the same person or company. A good example was the Y2K situation during the late 1990s. Many consultants were asked to come up with recommendations and then implement the software and/or hardware solutions.
Every consulting situation is different – something most professionals find an attractive part of the job. They usually thrive on challenge and have strong lateral thinking abilities. Often a consultant is someone who has worked in a profession for years and chooses to market the knowledge and skills base he or she has gleaned during that time to help others.
Consultants can be found in any number of ways including searching the Internet for consultants associations, by referral or by word of mouth. One of the challenges of being a consultant is obtaining sufficient information from the client to address the problem or situation. Sometimes employees or management are more interested in assigning blame than finding a solution. Doing an efficient job requires gaining confidence, so people skills are a must. A good consultant is well worth the professional fees he, she or the company charges.