Bringing on a New Consultant Without Ostracizing Your Team
Hiring a consultant can be daunting. You want to ensure the person you hire has the right expertise to help your organization achieve its goals, but you also want to make sure that you don't alienate your existing team in the process. Before bringing in a consultant, it’s important to address any concerns and questions that your team members might have. They may feel anxious or threatened by the arrival of a consultant, especially if they are not used to being included in decision-making processes. What concerns may be top of mind for them?
Why do we need a consultant?
How will their recommendations affect our day-to-day work?
Will they be taking over our roles or responsibilities?
Will our opinions be heard and considered?
Addressing these questions beforehand can help to alleviate many of their anxieties, and they can be naturally addressed if you implement an inclusive and transparent process when deciding to hire a consultant.
How to increase enthusiasm? Involve your team from the beginning!
Before you even start the hiring process, involve your team members in the decision-making. Ask for their input on what kind of consultant your organization needs and what specific areas they should focus on. By involving them in the decision-making process, you'll be able to get by-in from them and ensure that everyone is on the same page on the need to hire a consultant. Here’s why it’s important to include your team in the decision making:
They have a deep understanding of your organization - probably deeper than you. Your staff is on the ground, working day in and day out, and they have an intimate knowledge of your organization's strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. This makes them an invaluable resource when it comes to identifying areas where your organization could benefit from the expertise of a consultant.
They can help ensure that the consultant's recommendations are practical and feasible. Consultants often come in with a fresh perspective and can suggest new ideas that your team may not have considered. However, it's important to ensure that any recommendations are actually practical and feasible given the organization's resources and capabilities. Your team can provide valuable feedback on whether proposed solutions are realistic and can be implemented effectively.
Involving them from the beginning can help build buy-in for the consultant's recommendations. When your team is involved in the decision to hire a consultant and the consultant's work, they’re more likely to be invested in the outcome. This can help build support for any changes or recommendations that come out of the work, making it easier to implement new processes or strategies.
Engagement can help build a culture of continuous improvement. By involving your team through the consultation process, you're demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement. This can help foster a culture of innovation and a willingness to embrace change, ultimately leading to a more effective organization.
Integrating a New Consultant into Your Team
Once you've chosen a consultant, it's important to integrate them into your team to ensure that they can work effectively with all stakeholders involved. Make sure that your consultant has the opportunity to get to know each team member and understand their roles and responsibilities. Encourage your team to ask questions and provide feedback them. By full integrating the consultant into your team, you can help to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals and that your organization is well-positioned for success. Let’s take a look at some key strategies for integrating your new consultant into your internal team.
Provide an Org orientation. An orientation session with the consultant will give them a deeper understanding of your organization's history, culture, and values. This will help them understand your organization's goals and how they can contribute to achieving them.
Schedule 1:1 meetings. Scheduling one-on-one meetings with the consultant and team members gives them time to learn and understand each other's roles, responsibilities, and expectations. This will help build rapport and trust, and facilitate better communication over time.
Assign a point person. Assign a person from the team to be the consultant's main point of contact. This will ensure that they have someone to go to for any questions or concerns, and will also help to facilitate communication between the consultant and the team.
Encourage open communication: Open lines of communication between the consultant and team members should be encouraged and ensures that everyone feels comfortable asking questions and providing feedback.
Encourage collaboration. This might involve setting up brainstorming sessions or inviting the consultant to team meetings. By involving the consultant in team activities, you'll help to build trust and create a sense of collaboration and shared ownership.
Emphasizing team learning. One of the benefits of bringing on a consultant is the opportunity for team members to learn new skills and approaches. Emphasizing this learning opportunity can help to engage team members and ensure that they are invested in and view the process as an opportunity for professional growth.
Bringing on a consultant can be a valuable asset for your organization, but it’s important to do so in a way that does not ostracize your team. Communication and transparency are key to ensuring that your team feels valued and included in the process, and this approach can help to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals. With the right consultant and team buy-in, you can achieve your organizations goals while ensuring your team remains engaged and motivated.
