Operate as a Consultant, Not as an Expert

03/06/07

Ever hear yourself say anything like the following:

“I’m always putting out fires.”

“Do you know how much he paid XYZ Company for that training package?

We could have developed a better and less expensive product, if only he had asked us.”

“I wish she had discussed her plan of action in advance.”

“Why didn’t management give me some lead time for this project.”

If so, perhaps you are working more as an expert than as a consultant.

Experts: Underused, Undervalued
I have spent innumerable hours working with human resource practitioners whose expertise is not fully utilized. If your situation is similar, people call upon you only after a crisis has hit. They don’t consult with you to develop long-term solutions that might eliminate problems in the first place. In short, they underuse, and hence undervalue, your expertise.

Why? Maybe because you present yourself as an expert, someone with deep knowledge in law and policies. Colleagues thus view you as someone useful to call when trouble hits, but not when they need help meeting routine challenges.

Through my work both as an internal human resource practitioner and as an external consultant, I have learned that one significant reason managers and supervisors do not view human resource practitioners as business partners is not because the expertise is lacking—it’s how that expertise is delivered.

Put Your Talent to Work
If your organization is not using your talent to the fullest, and you’d like to become a more valued partner, try using a consultative framework for solving business problems. How do you do that?

1. Regard yourself as a consultant. This practical change in mindset merely acknowledges that while you have knowledge and responsibility, you probably don’t have direct power to make changes or implement programs. Your job, then, is to influence, advise, and assist.

2. View your coworkers as clients. Clients are potential recipients of the knowledge, expertise, and experience you bring to the table. Your goal: to help improve the client’s organization or operation.

3. Meet with potential clients. Clients have a problem to solve—how to develop people, get a more diverse workforce, set compensation levels, avoid discrimination or harassment, increase productivity, create training programs with a direct bearing on business results, and so forth. In discussing problems with clients, you strive to understand their view of the problem and what they think needs to be done.

How do you learn about problems you could help solve? Through networking, detective work, offers to help where you see opportunities, and by letting people know that you’re there to help them improve their operations.

4. Gather additional information. The client is usually clear as to the nature of the problem and the direction he or she wants to take. But in many cases, you can gather more information to help identify, clarify, and solve or reframe the problem. You serve as a neutral party and provide the client with valuable information that can either confirm or question his or her view of the situation.

5. Contract with clients. Contracting is a process to explore and define the relationship between you and the client. A contract—not necessarily a formal document—shows that you both agree on the objectives and outcomes of the work to be done.

Outline such things as the ultimate goal of the work, your role in it, what the end product will look like, what support and involvement you expect from your client, the timeline for the work, and how you will evaluate success. In short, determine the who, what, why, when, and how of solving the problem.

6. Develop and present an action plan. An action plan states the problem simply and shows a clear path to its solution. In some cases, you may discover you don’t have the expertise to address the problem. If this is the case, work with the client to identify a source to gain the expertise required.

7. Implement the change. You can do this by yourself or with the client’s assistance, depending on the situation.

8. Evaluate the impact of the change. Did the change meet the client’s overall objectives? If not, go through the consulting process again.

Taking a consultative approach to human resources will ensure that your expertise is in high demand, and it positions you as a valuable partner. And that, you’ll find, opens the door to opportunity.