Wanted: An outsider’s perspective

It’s definitely amusing looking back on this, but a younger version of me used to think consultants were pretty useless. I mean why would you pay an outsider to come into your organization and tell you things that you already know? At least that is how I saw it as a 22-year old.

As a consultant myself now, I have a much different view of things. And it’s not just because I’m the one being paid. People bring me in to help their organizations because they don’t have the time or expertise in-house for marketing or they want an outsider’s view to help them assess what they have been doing and where new opportunities may lie. My long-term clients, usually smaller organizations, continue to use me because it’s more cost-effective than having their own full-time marketing person on staff.

Now this isn’t to say that hiring a consultant is the answer to every problem, but if you find that you don’t have the right expertise in-house to accomplish a goal or aren’t making as much progress as you’d like it might be a pretty solid alternative to hiring a full-time staff member with benefits. Working with “outsiders” on a regular basis can also open your eyes to new ideas and different solutions.

When I was VP of Marketing for a credit union, I didn’t have as many outside interactions as I would have liked. It was hard to find the time to get out and network with a relentless meeting schedule and managerial duties. Weeks and sometimes even months would go by without having any outside business interactions beyond other credit union employees or existing vendors. It’s easy, no matter what your profession is, to get stuck in a rut. When you’re in the same office every day with the same cast of characters, your glimpses into the larger world can become fewer and further between.

Today, I find myself searching for outside perspective on a regular basis. Some of the best ideas and best perspective on my business over the years have come from “outsiders” – especially since it is just me running a solo consultancy. A former colleague, a family member or even a neighbor can trigger new ideas just in casual conversation.

Perhaps my twenty-something self just didn’t see the need for another professional’s point of view or maybe the type of consultants I had dealt with up to that point had been more along the lines of what that Showtime series “House of Lies” depicts. In any event, as we look towards 2014 it’s worth taking some time to get an outsider’s perspective on what we’re doing. Whether it’s from a paid consultant or a friend, you might be surprised by what you learn out there in the wide, wide world.