essays – Consulting

Getting a Good Fit

One of the first things I do as a consultant is to make sure a potential client is a “good fit” before moving forward. It needs to be a good fit for both of us.

Just like a pair of jeans.

I bet you have a favorite brand of jeans. I know I do. It came from years of trying on different ones – different brands, different styles, different sizes – until I finally found some that fit (for the most part). Now I know that if I need a new pair, I can limit my search to a particular brand, style, and size. They may cost more than I want, or aren’t the latest fashion trend, but at least I know they will fit and it saves me time.

Consultants – and strategic plans – also need to fit the organization. Not everyone should work together. Yep, it’s true, which is exactly why I freely admit that I am not a “good fit” for everyone. It could be a personality difference or a mindset issue. And my strategic planning process and suggestions may not fit everyone, either. [That’s one reason I added a “good fit” checklist to my website: http://www.501consulting.com/are-we-a-fit.html]

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked by groups to help them with strategic planning when their ideas and mine clash. They often start with “we’ve set a date (often just a couple of weeks away) where our board is going to meet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and we’d like you to facilitate the session so we can have a strategic plan for the next 5 years at the end of the day.”

What I tend to ask at this point is if the group has done strategic planning like that in the past, and if so, how successful it was. If they have been successful with that process (rarely the case), I generally wish them well and tell them my methods don’t align with theirs. More often than not, they either have never participated in a short-term strategic planning “fix” or it hasn’t worked well for them. Hopefully, they’re open to hearing what I suggest might be a better way forward and we can work together.

Do you have a favorite method for determining a good fit (jeans or working relationships)? I’d love to hear what works for you.