What do I mean by the squeaky wheel getting the grease? Well, so much of today’s consultancy ecosystem in marketing and advertising is about your network, your social media and your confidence to be out in the market and visible. If as I am, you have invested years into Linkedin, it is then much easier to harvest work from it, but does that mean I am better at my job or more expert?
It got me thinking more and more, about the consultancy space and our role in it, because for me it needs reimagining and rejuvenation, it comes with so many connotations to so many people. Those who have successfully worked with consultants know how effective they can be, in fact research recently showed that there is a really positive connection between businesses and consultancy. The business is happy because they know they have someone dedicated to whatever issue they have to solve, but are not tied down, or have not needed the costs and time of a full-time hire. The consultant is happy because they are being valued, they appreciate the work and the revenue and will give it their all. It’s a win-win as Rachel would say.
Equally, let’s be honest to some, consultants can mean people who drag out projects to make more money, it can mean ‘oh it’s just those people who got fired’ although in today’s economic climate, I am not sure that anyone would throw around flippant comments like that anymore, for others it could mean people who don’t want to work hard..you get the message, we live in a world of opinions that can’t be avoided. However, having consulted and now having spoken to so many independent consultants I can say with confidence, that businesses are not thinking long and hard enough about how to utilise this talent.
Since launching TheZoo.London with Rachel Forde we have been speaking to so many talented individuals, we call the collective ‘The Menagerie’ because one thing they all have in common is their differences. Their motivations, lived experiences, professional experiences, and we are excited by that and what impact that can have on a business. I have been so impressed by the depth of experience, across so many categories, they are a force. At the same time, they all say that yes it can be lonely, that it is tough to work stuff out on your own, and that there are sleepless nights if the work is not coming in, this can be the reality. What I do not see is anyone not excited about working with new challenges, new companies and the overarching goal of being valued vs judged.
Take an average employee, give them a ‘job’ to do but before they do it, they have to do their required company admin, they have to join endless meetings regarding the company or department, they will spend time evaluating whether they should be promoted or paid more, they will be dealing with some level of office politics, see how much time and energy is left? The more senior, the more these things become amplified. Instead, take an expert and ask them to do a job. You will see energy, enjoyment, 100% dedication to the job, which is a powerful argument for using and trusting consultants.
Our aim at TheZoo.London is to reimagine the consultancy marketplace; to represent, rejuvenate and raise the profile of consulting such that it becomes a recognised part of our industry and a genuine life choice for people, we want people to be proud to consult and we want businesses to actively seek out consultants. If we can help bring life to the Independent consultancy industry, whilst simultaneously solving business challenges and improving businesses, I think we will be a lot happier, and there will be less sleepless nights for us all.
