Part I: How to Make a Consulting Gig Mutually Effective and Rewarding

Before I retired, I had done consulting / contracting for a number of years, and I’ve worked with a few companies and managers. Here are some pointers on how to get the most of a **highly skilled** consultant / contractor like myself.

1. Clearly define the purpose of the assignment beforehand, and inform the consultant / contractor. Is it:

• Staff supplementation: a consultant taking over a role in the organizational chart normally assigned to a permanent employee who may be going on leave or another long term project.

• A specific short or long term development or infrastructure project.

2. Define whether this engagement is considered to be a contract to hire position. Again, inform the contractor as to whether this is your expectation. Some consultants do not want to leave consulting, and the consultant should know whether this is a ‘try-buy’ opportunity.

3. Define the reporting structure of the consulting position, and the expended duties, procedures and time and status reporting methods.

4. Define the expected results and expected conclusion of the consulting assignment.

5. If this is a software development or infrastructure project, define who does the preliminary analysis and develops the requirements and technical specifications. Many consultants, such as myself, have done this before, but are willing to receive these from a business analyst or project manager.

6. Define and request the proper security access for the consultant to achieve the assigned tasks. Usually it’s best to model access on an internal employee’s account, and eliminate unnecessary positions. Here are the kinds of access permission generally that I would need for .NET and database development:

• Administrator permissions on the development PC.

• Administrator access to any development databases and development database servers.

• Administrator or read/write access to any development websites, web servers and /or application servers, if multi-tier web development is part of the assignment.

• External Internet access.

• Access to any other servers, Intranet sites or shared drives necessary for document sharing such as requirements and design documents.

7. Request a PC with sufficient processor power, RAM, and hard drive space to perform the assigned duties. Generally this should be the same kind of PC that would normally be provided to a permanent employee with the same duties. Avoid giving the consultant a departmental spare or castoff unless you want the consultant to have to spend time dealing with an inadequate PC.

8. Seek to provide a fairly stable work schedule and be open and flexible to a consultant taking time off when things get slow.

9. Encourage a collaborative and positive work environment with the consultant. To this end, do not let details of the consultant’s compensation be known to others, any more than fellow employees should know details of each other’s compensation. This only produces unnecessary friction, rivalry and resentment among people who need to work together as a team.

As a consultant, I can produce quality results within a fast (but realistic) timeframe, and make your whole team stronger. I often work beyond the initial job description, and advise process improvements and best practices. I often provide skills and experience which fill in the gaps in the skills and experience among the permanent employees. I share the knowledge which I’ve gained, and continuously seek to improve my own knowledge and capabilities. What I ask is that if you wish to do business with me in a way that we mutually beneficial, is that you help to provide me what I need to get the job done effectively. And for that I’ll say thank you, and make you look like a genius for bringing me on as part of the team.