How to Get the Most Out Of Your Consultant?
An insider perspective
So, you’ve hired a consultant but want to figure out how to get the most out of the engagement? This is a crucial step as many companies hire consultants and miss out on getting the best out of the opportunity for various reasons. Though we try to fit right into the day-to-day of the company that hires us, it’s different from hiring a new employee. The engagements are time-limited and require efficiency, open communication, and quick feedback loops to ensure the interaction is as successful as possible.
Understanding the “Why”
When we begin an engagement, we must agree on the “why” of the engagement. Sometimes, the purpose is simply to come in and solve a problem or write some code. Sometimes, it is to bring a different opinion to help solve that problem. Sometimes, it is to bring an outside perspective to help a struggling team or codebase. Sometimes, it is to level up a group of newer developers. The “why” is often different for the CEO than the PM, the development team, and the CFO… Multiple “whys” are okay, but we need to understand our purpose within the organization from every angle so that we can direct our energy and time in the most helpful way to the company.
Gaining Trust (on Both Sides)
Trust within a team is usually built over time as members learn from each other and gradually get to know one another. This is a great natural process; however, as consultants, we only have so much time to work together. We come in as outsiders; this can be one of our most significant assets to an organization, but it also means extra work needs to be done to gain trust quickly so that we can work together in the most productive way possible.
Getting to Know One Another
Gaining trust starts with simply getting to know one another. If possible, a face-to-face meeting to kick off the project or a happy hour somewhere down the line does a great job. If this is not feasible, we should at least take five minutes at the beginning of a pairing session to check in and see how each other is doing before moving on to business.
Getting to know one another allows us to recognize one another’s humanness and become more productive working together. Everything from code reviews to working through a bug to asking a favor becomes a collaborative human interaction rather than a transaction.
Trusting One Another
Additionally, having an outsider come in to “help” can be daunting to some development teams. They may question why they need it in the first place, whether outsiders are there to judge them, or if it is a sign that they are not doing enough. This is not our intention; our goal is always to leave the team stronger than we found it. That said, working together collaboratively and creating a safe environment where employees can be receptive to the consultant is crucial to creating a successful outcome.
Efficient Onboarding
It’s day one. An efficient onboarding process is exactly what we need to start to hit the ground running.
What does this look like? It is project-dependent, as some projects are greenfield while others are more legacy. But ideally, we set ourselves up for success to be pushing code the very first day.
We like to do the following steps in the first week of starting a project. They can occur in any order, as coordinating schedules may prohibit a prescribed order. However, they are essential to do in the first few days.
Personal Introductions
The first step to success is simply meeting each other. We do this with a session that allows everyone to introduce themselves (PMs, developers, designers, possibly stakeholders, etc.), their names, their relation to the project, and how to best reach/leverage them. This meeting is also an excellent opportunity to discuss the roles and responsibilities of those involved in the project and more fine-grained details such as schedules and time zones.
Codebase Introductions
The second step is an efficient how-to introducing the codebase. This will involve any applicable onboarding to the codebase: setting up machines, and explaining the applicable code and architecture. These sessions are ideally done synchronously with whomever is closest to that area of the codebase. There is also a great opportunity to improve the internal onboarding as we can find sticky spots in the process together or at least ensure the README files are up-to-date.
Backlog
The final important step is having a backlog to pick up our first story. We likely already had a session to discuss this for a greenfield project before the project started. In other projects, a backlog is hopefully already prepared and being worked on. The goal is to have an iteration planning meeting in the first day or two so that we can start shipping code the first week. This allows us to make the most efficient use of our time once we finish the setup process.
Knowledge Transfer
As we build software, we need to avoid knowledge silos in the area of the codebase we are working on (since, unfortunately, we will not be there forever, and someone else will have to maintain it!). There are various ways to do this that could look different depending on the project. Ideally, we can work closely with an internal team to efficiently transfer this information. In fact, we’ve found a lot of success in having the opportunity to pair with client team members. Depending on the project and context, pairing does not always happen daily. However, the more we pair, the more we can reduce feedback loops and spread context and visibility.
Touchpoints
Touchpoints are another big part of a successful project. Of course, there are the typical IPM and Standup meetings, but we also need opportunities for honest and consistent feedback. In this case, we encourage a recurring retrospective meeting with the smaller team to ensure we are working together effectively. We also like to have consistent touchpoints with someone in the company (likely the one who suggested working with us in the first place) to get a higher-level idea of how the project is going and what we might need to add, continue doing, or change.
Efficient Off-boarding
If we follow the above practices, particularly those involving knowledge sharing, such as pairing, off-boarding should be a seamless experience. These practices reduce knowledge silos that are typically a concern when someone leaves a team.
That’s a Wrap
Maximizing the potential of consultant engagements requires a concerted effort to capitalize on the limited time available. Whether it’s understanding the multifaceted “why” behind the collaboration, fostering trust through genuine human connections, or streamlining the onboarding and off-boarding processes, every step counts towards ensuring the most productive outcomes. By embracing open communication, efficient knowledge transfer, and consistent touch points, both consultants and teams can make the most of their time together, leaving behind a legacy of strengthened capabilities and shared successes. In a world where time is a precious commodity, it’s imperative to seize every opportunity to create lasting value from each engagement.