Diary Of A Consultant

Training & Development, July, 2001 by David Zahn

People who need people.

In last month's entry, David shared some of the troubles he faces as a club member of the frequent consultant travelers who are often spotted in airports looking vacant eyed. This month, David stays close to home, but with his head in the clouds and his eyes on the stars as he considers the merits of hiring more consultants or aligning with strategic partners.

2000

November 13

A new workweek is beginning after I've shivered on the sidelines watching my two sons play their second-to-last soccer games of the season. I'm still slightly hoarse from exhorting kids with runny noses and skinned knees to play their positions, not get caught on part of the field where they don't belong, and pass the ball back and forth until they get a good shot opportunity. It has me thinking: No one claps when I write a flawless memo, but is there such a big difference between these young soccer players and me?

On the way to work, I turn off the radio and begin to think about what this business entity of Clow Zahn Associates is all about. What do we stand for and what are we attempting to evolve into? When Jeff and I first started to dream this dream, he was clear that he wanted to work hard enough to afford the things he felt were reasonably due to an executive with his capabilities. He wanted to take off when the mood struck him, spend time with his wife and children, and make enough money to eat out and buy a few luxury items.

I envisioned the same thing for myself, but now, less than a year into Jeff's and my "marriage," I'm reassessing what I want. Jeff has been unwavering in living the life he set our to live and doing what needs to be done to maintain that. I, on the other hand, am beginning to grow perhaps greedy. I want more. I've tasted success and suddenly fear there are too few hours in the day to grab it with both hands.

I pull into the parking lot of my 9 a.m. appointment and decide to shelve such ruminations until I can devote more time and construct a quadrant chart analysis or assess our opportunities using one of my consulting processes. Right now, a client is expecting me to do my best, and I owe it to the client to deliver that.

November 15

8 a.m. /schedule a two-hour block of time in my Handspring Visor to get back to the nagging question of CZA's direction and to try to decipher what I meant by "soccer analogy"--a notation in my PDA. Maybe it's a graffiti error.

2 p.m. OK, time to get serious. Jeff and I started this business to deliver high-quality sales training and have done well in that regard. Jeff's facilitation and client-management abilities resonate with everyone we've worked with, and are mentioned often in the project recaps and evaluations we ask clients and key contacts to complete. My strengths are in the instructional design of our projects and the operational end, including dealing with accountants, suppliers, and attorneys.

I've been willing to stretch what CZA does to include writing policy and procedure manuals (something I'd done before CZA) and to get involved in strategic projects, training function establishment, and client-customer research. In many ways, we're becoming more of a full-service consulting firm than we first envisioned. It's exhilarating, but to branch out is counter to our strategy. We don't want to water down our ability by no longer being industry-or functional-specific experts.

Yet, with only two of us available, we have to be choosy about what we pursue and where we dedicate our resources. It's actually an embarrassment of riches: We aren't struggling to find assignments; we struggle with deciding which to chase and which not to bother with. With a careful eye toward cash flow and finances, I approach Jeff with what will be our first major strategic decision: Which of the various paths should we take? Turn away business and retain our boutique niche (and recognize CZA will earn only the maximum for two people billing)? Hire additional staff to focus on sales training so we can expand our capabilities? Hire staff who can contribute beyond our current core strengths? Or partner with other consulting firms focused on complementary practices?

I no longer favor option 1, though Jeff seems content to follow it. I want to see whether we can build the business into something larger than just the two of us. I don't have illusions (delusions?) of becoming the next Boston Consulting Group, but I do want to see whether we can expand our reach. Options 2 and 3 mean putting skin in the game beyond Jeff's comfort level. Though he's not averse to broadening our capabilities or availability, he's loathe to commit to the ongoing expense of an additional employee when we've yet to have an availability conflict. Option 4 appeals to us both. Jeff views it as a selling and marketing opportunity in which to have additional feet on the street selling our services; I also view it as that and as a way to provide more comprehensive offerings and greater breadth and depth to clients.

After that discussion, we call it a day. On my way home, I consider how I'll determine which consulting organizations or product and service providers to pursue as potential partners or alliances. My first thought is, What do we have to offer them in exchange?