Eight North

Perhaps at eightnorth LLC we take organizational development a touch too seriously.  Could it be that we truly believe in providing our customers with value for money, that we will do everything possible to solve problems for our client companies and will work towards measuring training results?

These questions have haunted me this past week, and I felt that perhaps writing about them would bring clarification.  You see, in our business (the consulting business), we do a lot of networking.  All consultants network consistently.  Networking is not selling.  When you attend a networking function, you meet a lot of people, and only some of them might in the future become clients.  There are many more people who will never become clients, but they might know someone else who will become one.  And even if that doesn’t ever happen, you’ve made a friend.

  What really bugs me, though, are consultants who will thrust their business card at all and every unsuspecting networker, ready with their sales pitch.  What happened to good manners, where we listen with interest to the other person?  And that means listening, even if, on first impression, you have nothing in common with one another. I have found many a fascinating individual whom I could see right away will never have a need for my services, but whom I could later refer to someone who might be able to assist them in some way or another.  And in this manner, I am always fondly remembered and talked about.

That is only part of what bugs me.  The other thing is that it seems everybody out there is a consultant.  Not that that is an evil in itself, but looking at some of the services and materials they offer, it makes me want to find a different description for what I do.  Just this past week, someone in a meeting announced they are quitting their job to become a consultant.  She stated proudly that she has written a unique program that will reinforce training in the workplace.  On closer inspection (I was very excited for her at first) it turned out she was laid off and decided to become a consultant with something she had written more than 15 years ago (and it wasn’t even good then!).  And yet, anybody seemingly can be a consultant.

I used to be very proud of how we can work with our client companies to meet their unique needs, and solve a specially sticky problem.  Where the consultant is confided in, and trusted, and becomes part of the company team, because they truly care.  Long-lasting, trusting relationships between the client and the consultant is paramount.  I am concerned about some “so called” consultant spoiling it for us all, and that we will come to be seen as people usually see used-car salesmen.

So much for that.  I must confess, I feel a lot better now I’ve spoken to you.  Thanks for reading, and watch out for those who sell themselves as consultants, without real substance or integrity.  Ask who they worked with before, and check their references. 

Long live the real consultants!