Consultants are a Dime a Dozen

I have interviewed and hired consultants, worked with consultants who were hired before I arrived, and served as a consultant now for four years. These days, it seems that almost anyone who has retired from an executive level position decides to become a consultant.

In my experience, the best consultants are laser-focused and attentive to sights, sounds, the appearance of facilities and employees, organizational diagrams, foundation documents, financial metrics, and most of all company leadership. Moreover, they are candid in what they see and perceive. The truly astute ones can observe and assess from the parking lot to the Boardroom. Finally, consultants must be change-focused and see nothing wrong with carrying some of the change-blame in their own backpacks while helping the CEO or Board weather the back-blast from the frequent change-overs.