Nature of The Work

The job involves three basic areas or dimensions.

Physically, we probably need some measure of mobility, the ability to use a keyboard, powers of observation, and so on. There is no heavy lifting. And many physical shortcomings can be compensated for with technology, assistance, and so forth. From a skills (knowledge and experiences) standpoint, we need to master the elements of various consulting methodologies,4 communications skills, and so forth. So we should be able to facilitate a meeting, moderate a focus group, interview people, create survey instruments, and so on.

Behaviors, however, often get short shrift. Few of us studied to be consultants, or had a lifelong passion to enter consulting. (I know I didn’t, and look what happened to me.) The behaviors an internal consultant needs include, in my estimation:

• - Perseverance: the willingness and resiliency to rebound from setbacks, to remove roadblocks, and to stay the course, even in the face of criticism and skepticism.
• - High self-esteem: the ability to refuse to take rejection personally, and to disassociate one’s own worth from scorn or negativism directed at one’s department or colleagues.
• - Well-developed sense of humor: Call this one perspective if you wish, but the truth is that nothing you or I do, no matter how successfully or unsuccessfully, is likely to change the course of civilization as we know it. We need to keep our wits about us.
• - Willingness to take risks: no risk, no reward. “A highly conservative, successful consultant” is an oxymoron. Consultants aren’t around to protect the status quo, although too many internal people seem to take that position. We’re not here to stick our toes into the water. We’re here to make waves.
• - Creativity and innovation: This goes with the raising of the bar. The real value is in improving standards and raising performance. We need to be able to generate new ideas and better ways for our clients to adapt and implement.

Basically, the successful internal consultant will be at the confluence of these three factors: market need, competence, and passion.

You need to be able to see (or create) the needs within the organization for the value you can provide; you must develop and demonstrate the competency to meet those needs; and you must be passionate about the prospect of being the key link in that process.

It’s as simple—and as achievable—as that. And as baseball pitching legend “Dizzy” Dean observed, “If you can do it, it ain’t braggin’.”