Consultants Are Like Avocados
Do you think consultants are useless? Think again! 🙌 My latest article is a Friday-perfect, lighthearted counterpoint to Steve Jobs’ grumbles about consultants. Get ready to change your mind!
Steve Jobs on Consultants? Hold My Latte
All right, let’s be honest. We all love Steve Jobs - the vision, the turtleneck, the whole deal. But when it came to consultants, the guy could be…well, a little harsh. He famously tossed shade, saying stuff like consultants don’t own solutions, and their expertise is all theoretical book-smarts. Ouch! But hey, let’s cut consultants some slack here.
Consultants: Not Superheroes, But Pretty Useful Sidekicks
Nobody expects a consultant to swoop in and miraculously fix all your problems. That’s your job. But think of them as your business sidekicks - they provide an outside perspective and maybe, just maybe, have seen a problem similar to yours before.
They’re like that friend who always sees the blind spot in your grand plans – pointing out what might explode in your face if you charge in headfirst. Boring? Maybe. Cost-saving in the long run? Definitely.
The Upside (That Steve Jobs Kinda Missed)
Look, consultants have experience hopping between companies. They collect “battle scars” that can help you avoid newbie mistakes. Plus, they have a knack for fancy words, charts, and diagrams. It is important stuff when you have to convince your boss that your expensive business experiment is totally foolproof. And yeah, maybe during tough times, you can ditch them more easily than staff. So what? That’s sometimes the smartest move instead of sinking the whole ship, right?
Bottom Line: Consultants Are Like Avocados
Alone? Kinda bland. But mash a consultant with the right team, a clear goal, and some accountability, and suddenly you’ve got strategic guacamole on your hands. So, before you write off all consultants based on Steve’s grumbles, remember: even the greatest visionaries need a fresh pair of eyes from time to time.