Outcomes, it is always about the results
February 5, 2008
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Alan Weiss always insists on teaching about results and outcomes before anything else. For the consultant that means that you can deliver clarity about the value that you add, rather than the work that you do. In the end, who cares how you do what you do. People care what you can accomplish for them. Read how he formulates this so well:
I don’t want film or digital images; I want memories. I don’t want a great room: I want a romantic experience. I don’t want a 16-position airplane seat; I want to arrive refreshed and ready to do business in London. I don’t want steel-belted radials and high torque; I want people to stare and point as I glide by.
This is always a lesson for me. Here was my response:
Alan,
I couldn’t agree with you more. I work for non-profits most of the time. Having read your work, and agreeing whole heartedly with your ideas about value, I try to apply this to my consulting. However, the culture of the sector is such that they cannot conceive of working in any other way than billing by the hour (and then complain about the hourly rate of course). I thought that the reason was that the non-profit constitutes a sector where fear of being ripped off, and fear for limited resources result in a fear of being ripped off. I have recently learned however, that the real problem is that they are not sufficiently outcome oriented themselves.
And then, there is my real problem. That should be my job, to teach them about the outcomes they need.
Your last paragraph about outcomes is the best. I realized I need to do a much better job speaking in terms of needed and desired outcomes.
Thank you
Niels
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Thanks for the kind words.
Alan Weiss
http://www.contrarianconsulting.com