The Consultant Dance

I suspect we will see companies hiring more consultants and freelancers as many people have been forced, or elect, to move into these roles as a result of COVID, as companies have tightened their budgets and embraced remote work.

How should CEOs think about consultants (I will for our purposes toss freelancers in this bucket)? Are they like employees (the lawyer in me will remind you they are not and there are distinct rules around consultants)?

However, leadership should engage them much like they do their full-time employees in order to build mutually beneficial relationships. Think of them as partners.

Here are 5 tips for building these relationships.

Get Clear

Before you hire a consultant, get very clear on the problem you are solving for – what skillset you are missing that you need to execute on your strategy or what isn’t working that you need expertise and guidance.

Some consultants you hire will be more strategic and their scope may be a bit broader, while others may be hired for specific execution. Some may be ongoing (these relationships can be 3 months or span years) and some may be project based.

Get clear on the role, the responsibilities, the tasks and the outcomes you are looking for over what period of time. Set deadlines and deliverables. Come up with metrics to measure progress and success.

Don’t Control

Again, side note: legally you cannot “control” how they get their work done.

But I am talking about building a relationship of trust. Remembering by nature consultants are self-motivated and disciplined and don’t need to be micromanaged. Not to mention, micromanaging is demoralizing and demotivating.

Whether they have been hired to fill certain functions, do certain tasks or provide strategic advice, they are bringing an objective lens to your strategies and processes. Give them room to do their job and listen to their suggestions and ask questions. Give them opportunities to grow their own skillsets and learn from you as well.

Inclusivity

Bring them into the fold. Find ways to make them part of the broader culture (finding a culture fit when hiring a consultant is key, equal to skillsets and experience.). Treat with respect, careful not to treat them as less than, dispensable, or an outsider.

In order to do their job well, they will need to interact with members of your team and, perhaps, become part of a team. They need to understand the rhythm and personality of the team and its members. Understand how work gets done and how the team communicates.  

On the flip side, you are bringing in someone because arguably your team doesn’t have what it takes to get it done. Your team may bristle. Make sure they understand who he or she is, why they were hired and for what role. Avoid the us vs. them mentality.

(Don’t go so far as to push past reasonable boundaries and expectations of consultants. There is a balance. For another day.)

Onboarding

Start off by giving them context, -- the big picture vision and strategy. Explain how their work ties into the overall success and helps achieve specific goals.

Nobody can do their best work in a vacuum. Most, if not all, work reaches across many departments and each piece of the puzzle is critical to execution. If they don’t understand the bigger objectives, they cannot be their most creative, thoughtful, and valuable.

Make sure you introduce them to their team members and key stakeholders. Provide opportunities, or encourage, them to get to know each other outside of the work.  

Feedback

Just as feedback is essential to employee engagement, feedback will fuel engagement and relationship building.

It doesn’t have to be a formal review process but, if you have set metrics, you can talk about how they are being met or any impediments to their execution. You can nip performance problems in the bud if you are open and honest.

Make it a two-way street. Again, they may have suggestions on how to do something better or on how to improve or alter your strategy. They may be frustrated because they are not getting the information and input needed from their team to do their job.

Finally, celebrate project success or thank them publicly for good work. Often times, it is “see ya, thanks for playing” when the job is done. My guess is they were an integral part of that success so acknowledge that. Remember these are often ongoing relationships and appreciation will strengthen your relationship and their commitment to your success.