May 2001 • Table
of Contents
Career Corner
So You Want To Go Solo?
Consulting takes knowledge, daring, persistence and willingness
to listen
by Joe Conklin
Ever dream of branching out on your own? Ever wonder what it takes to
consult effectively in the quality field? You might be interested in the
stories of John, Andrew and Jim, who recently shared their experiences
with me.
They all work in the Midwest but pursued different paths to consulting.
John consults part-time while working full-time as a quality practitioner
for a major metals producer. He has 33 years of experience in the quality
field.
Andrew started consulting full-time in midcareer after leaving full-time
employment in the automotive supply industry. Jim began to consult after
taking early retirement in 1995 following a 30-year career spanning production,
safety and quality management.
So how did they all get started? John was always intrigued by the idea
of consulting. When a quality assurance (QA) manager and close friend
invited him to participate in a part-time consulting venture, John thought
it was a golden opportunity to test the waters.
After 21 years in the organizational bureaucracy of a large corporation,
Andrew was ready to cut the ties. He wanted to use his extensive knowledge
of manufacturing to assist small businesses--a segment he believed was
frequently overlooked by many consulting firms.
Jim's interest was ignited after his late career promotion to total
quality management manager of his plant. He found he enjoyed helping organizations
improve their performance. Waiting until retirement allowed him to adjust
to a new lifestyle and experiment as a consultant for both a large consulting
firm and for his own concern.
What does it take?
What does it take to be an effective consultant? All three men offer
similar advice. John suggests an extensive, hands-on knowledge of quality
techniques, a strong sense of urgency to use the techniques right the
first time and a willingness to talk to clients in their own language.
Andrew recommends a strong educational grounding in practices your clients
can see are reasonable and effective. Good consultants must be flexible
in their approaches--clients' needs have a way of being different from
what they first articulate. Besides being excellent listeners, consultants
also must diligently promote their services to all levels of company management.
Jim agrees with the importance of in-depth knowledge and experience. Equally
important is a real desire to serve clients.
How do these quality professionals find customers for their services?
John fills his part-time hours through referrals from satisfied clients.
Andrew takes a big picture view of the trends unfolding in the automotive
industry, trying to anticipate his customers' future needs. Offering new
variations of tools and techniques helps to attract business from both
old and new clients.
Jim finds most of his work through referrals. He also does some free
presentations and workshops for member firms of the local chamber of commerce.
These provide good promotional opportunities.
Preparing for new business
What should a consultant think about before accepting new business?
John likes to study the client's business and people very closely. He
asks a lot of questions and sometimes seeks the perspective of other consultants
who have served a particular company.
Andrew asks himself whether he feels comfortable working with a possible
client. This applies not only to the executive point of contact but to
all the people he might work with on a daily basis during a project. Whether
expectations can be defined clearly at the start is also a factor to weigh.
Besides making sure his services match the client's needs, Jim also
makes sure he can devote the proper time to a potential project. He interviews
the client at the same time the client interviews him--to judge whether
the company is committed to making the changes it is asking for.
How do John, Andrew and Jim see their future in the QA consulting business?
John thinks he will continue to consult past retirement age--even though
he has no plans to actually retire. Andrew might scale back some in retirement
but has no intention of leaving the scene completely. There are too many
possibilities to leverage his 40 plus years of experience. Jim is not
retiring either. The rewards, flexibility and travel possibilities remain
a great draw.
One thing seems clear: Consulting is not for those desiring routine
and low risk. For those with the knowledge, daring, persistence and willingness
to listen, however, the rewards more than make up for the surprises.
JOSEPH D. CONKLIN is a statistician with the U.S. Census Bureau,
designing sampling plans for assessing the quality of Census 2000 operations.
He coordinated development of the information system to track the quality
of printed census forms. Conklin earned a master's degree in statistics
from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and holds the following ASQ certifications:
quality engineer, reliability engineer, quality auditor, quality manager
and software quality engineer.
If you would like to comment on this article, please post your remarks
on the Quality
Progress Discussion Board, or e-mail them to editor@asq.org.
