No Guessing

So, you're at the medical clinic and your doctor asks you what the problem is. In response, you say "I don't think I'm comfortable answering such a personal question. Just tell me what you can do for me and I'll tell you whether to go ahead or not."

Or, you're at the mechanic and they ask you what you'd like them to fix. In response, you say "You're the expert; you tell me what you're going to do, and what it's going to cost."

Now that's crazy. If you have a specific pain you'd like addressed, it would be foolish not to tell the doctor where it hurts. If your car needs repairs, it would make sense to tell them about the clunking sound that happens whenever you turn left. And, if you're looking for help with your business, it makes sense to help the consultant understand exactly what your situation is.

After two short meetings, XYZ Company wanted a formal proposal of what the consultant was going to do for them. It was a complex company but the owners just said that they wanted to revise their HR policies to deal with a bunch of problem employees. They wouldn't clarify what the issues were, or what kind of problems were happening, or what exactly they were looking for. They wouldn't share any data about their problems, or their budget for an intervention, or the goals they wanted to achieve other than that they needed stronger policies. They insisted that they needed a proposal immediately; "We can't waste any more time. Just tell us what you can do for us and what it's going to cost, and we'll get back to you."

Despite their protests, further conversations with XYZ Company revealed that they had huge problems with their manufacturing quality that were causing countless problems for employees throughout the organization. Customers were unhappy, everyone was constantly scrambling to deal with recurring problems, and complaints and warranty issues were straining every department. Still, management felt it was a people problem and wanted to address that. Without further digging, they would have ended up with a Band-Aid solution (stronger HR policies) that probably would have made things worse.

In Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play, Mahan Khalsa speaks about "not guessing" in the buying and selling process. You wouldn't want your doctor guessing about which surgery or medication might work on your secret problem. You wouldn't want your mechanic randomly replacing parts in your car. And you really do not want a consultant guessing what will help your business. So take the time to answer questions, invest the time in upfront discussion - it is far cheaper than dealing with the expensive consequences of letting your professional help guess what it is you want.

Occasionally the truth is plain to see, sometimes it's just under the surface, but usually it's buried deep. It takes relentless communication, back-and-forth dialogue and interviewing to dig out the true issues. But it's worth it when you get a solution that truly meets your needs.