Consultants Are Everywhere *

In 1991 I wrote about how I was continually amazed at the ubiquity of consulting and how I found it in the most unexpected situations. 

My hair cutter then was an unusual man, a dark-skinned Mediterranean, a guy’s guy, a salesman, a dealmaker, quick with a joke or a story. I went to him not just for his stories, but because he cut my hair really well.  I found it difficult to find a good cutter, and Mico was a good cutter.

But I did like his stories. I collect stories the way other guys collect beer mats or coins.

One day, Mico started by saying, “You may appreciate this.  I mean, because you’re a consultant.”

I told him once what I did; he remembered a lot, at odd times perhaps, but I was still flattered.

“I was a consultant once, to a college, a community college. . . . me, a guy who just made it outta high school. This is one of the only colleges in the country with a course in cosmetology.  The state wanted to close them down. They weren’t making any money. They’d had these statistical engineers come in. The state sent them . . . they couldn’t find out what was wrong.”

Mico went on to tell me how he went into the school, observed for two days, then talked to the faculty together and individually and talked to the students together and individually. He explained to each of them:

“This school is yours. When I leave, you’re gonna work or go to school here, if you save it.”

His real-world experience (he had successfully run his own shop for years) and his down-to-earth manner apparently won over faculty and students alike. He made some suggestions; they made some suggestions. Theytook action.

“A year later they paid for my ticket to come back and see what they did. They were profitable.  The state was happy. They were happy. And it made me feel good, you know. They gave me a lotta credit when I was there. You know, they said I had turned it around. That made me feel good. But they did it. Probably could do it again without me now if they had to. I see why you like what you do . . . You know, I get a lotta guys who don’t like what they do and I think . . .”

Mico was off on another tale, but I was back at that community college with him. He had described a near-perfect process intervention that had left the client empowered to continue on after he left.

His principles are the consulting process: Enter- Diagnose-Solve - Implement - Disengage

Observe with the eyes of the outsider who knows something about what they do. 

Gather input from many sources.

Make suggestions.

Give them their ball back, and then

Leave, get out. fish, relatives, and consultants stink if they’re around too long.

* Always be prepared to find wisdom in unusual places.  Drawing wisdom from Mico’s stories started me on my career as a writer. This one is the Preface to Traveling the Consulting Road.

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