Let's Get to Work!: You May Need a Consultant If...

Unless you've been on a deserted island for the past 10 or so years, you're likely familiar with Jeff Foxworthy's "... you might be a redneck" stand-up routine. Granted: The one sure way to make humor unfunny is to overanalyze it, so I'll keep my academic musing to a minimum! The key to Foxworthy's successful and universal humor is we have all known, seen, or been what he describes. You may not identify yourself as a redneck, but at some time or another, you may have done some of what he describes, to some degree, and those are the jokes that get the biggest laughs out of us.

Now, switch gears with me, and consider the performance of your company, your team, yourself.

We all face business challenges, both personally and as an organization. Sometimes a business is just not growing as fast as it could and should, is in a rut, or worse -- is shrinking. Sometimes the most difficult part of running a company, division or team is leading the it in the right direction and ultimately putting it on the right path to grow and prosper.

"But we don't need any help, certainly not a consultant!"

That would mean something is badly wrong, right? Not necessarily. Your car runs fine, but might not if you skip regular maintenance and tune-ups. You change the weight of oil in your car for cold/hot weather. Put on snow tires for different road conditions. It's no weakness of your car that you consult a mechanic. Using a consultant to take your business to the next level is no different. Want a Maserati, or a beater?

Go in for a tune-up!

Listen to the watercooler conversation. Look at the numbers. Consider the morale of your teams. Listen to your own thoughts.

If any of the following rings true… you need a consultant!

(May we suggest Barr Corporate Success?)

“We could seriously use a new $1 million.”
“Our organization feels stuck.”
“Revenues and growth are flat or falling.”
“Sales are sluggish and costs are rising.”
“Our competitors are gaining market share.”
“Oh, it’s a bad economy, everyone’s off.”
“The business just isn’t profitable.”
“Customer demands are changing constantly – how do we know what they want?”
“How can we find new customers and markets?”
“Vendors demand more and more from us all the time.”
“I'm not sure the right people are in the right positions.”
“People are burned out, unmotivated, and turnover's on the rise.”
“No one around here makes decisions.”
“Does our compensation plan reward good performance?”
“There goes the rumor mill again. These office politics are wasting time.”
“Most of my team is -- at best -- 'C' players.”
“How do we get more out of our partner relationships?”
“We'd love to be more efficient, but how?”
“What advantages could we get out of new technology?”
“Sales are giving away the store!”
“Our product quality and service is weak.”
“Product development is taking longer than expected. The market’s not waiting.”
“We’re considering a merger or an acquisition.”
“New industry regulations are seriously hindering growth.”
“Industry rules are changing. Our operations aren't aligned to those changes.”
“No one seems focused on the bottom line.”
“We spend more time putting our fires than planning for the future.”
“Well, this is the way we’ve always done it.”
“We need some solid strategic alliances.”
“Succession plan? There is no succession plan.”
“Strategic vision just isn't there. We need some new ideas to grow the business.”
“We need more innovative leadership.”
“We need a business, sales and marketing plan with teeth.”
“How do I develop leaders from within my company?”
“How can I get my teammates to be as passionate about the business as I am?”