Breaking the cycle

As a consultant, it is a little disconcerting to hear reports of how the consulting industry - the large prestigious firms in particular - have been acting unethically. But beyond that, we are also hearing about how the overuse of consultants leaves companies - and the especially the public sector - hollowed out of a range of skills. [Check out this podcast for more insights: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/themoney/mariana-mazzucato-big-con-russia-ukraine-economics/101959398]

Observing my time in the public sector, we seemed to be in a strange cylcical pattern. There would be a media or political focus on how big the government was, leading to a recruitment freeze, costly retrenchments and a smaller workforce. With less capacity - and often capability, as those who were the most employable were often the one's to leave - there would be a need to get external help to achieve promised outcomes. And that bought a need for more consultants who were not included in the headcount.

Then not too long after, there would be another concern raised about how much money was being spent on consultants in the public sector. And we would see recruitment freezes lifted and the sector would slowly grow. And so it goes.

Now there are very good reasons to hire consultants for work that is better conducted by an external specialist, but it shouldn't come at the cost of workplace capability.

It's often hard to see the expertise that sits just across from you - or take a good idea seriously when it's just Jimmy-from-accounting making a suggestion rather that a prestigious firm.

One of the most important things that Make Work Less Shit for employees is a sense of agency - having the capability to act and the autonomy to do so. So why not use the required external expertise to develop your people at the same time.

Working with clients, I like to put myself out of a job. I like to build, create or deliver the project at the same time as supporting the skill development and encouraging the creativity of the team or company to continue the work themselves. Not all the time. And maybe it doesn't sound like a very sound business model. But if it is something that can be supported in-house going forward, and there is an appetite to do so, how cool and thoroughly satisfying is that?

Supporting internal capabilty and autonomy helps to break out of the cycle. Turns out, it's not an Either/Or - it's an And.

#doonethingbetter #leadership #culture #autonomy