Delivery and Outcomes
I've worked with a lot of consultants and freelancers over the years. I am always surprised by the amount of consultants that I work with who don't deliver on what they are hired for. The problem is that they misunderstand what they are being hired for and the value they provide.
It's easy to get into the mindset as a consultant that you are being hired to only solve problems. It's easy because we all want to be this guy:
"Hey, here's what I think you should do..."
And we're done!
While solving problems is one part of the job, the other part is providing your clients with outputs. It's rare that I come across consultants who deliver their outputs on time. Or if they do, it's often times subpar.
The key for me when talking to any consultant is asking them: what do I get at the end of the contract? And I always ask them to give me a list of outcomes that they will provide at the end of the contract. I hire consultants to help my team when we either:
- Can't do in the timeframe or 2) Lack the skills required to execute.
If you want to stay busy as a consultant in the international development space, it's simple: deliver good results on time. It's not a difficult requirement and it's certainly not an earth-shattering revelation. But you'd be surprised at the amount of consultants that just don't deliver.
It's important to know what you are being hired for. Ask the question when talking with potential clients. Are you solving a timeframe problem or adding capacity?