We turn down projects fairly regularly. Not because we don't need the work, but because we think the team asking can solve the problem themselves, or because the problem isn't the kind we're equipped to help with. This is our honest attempt to write down when outside help is worth it and when it isn't.

The case for solving it yourself

If the problem is clearly scoped, the team has the skills to address it, and the main thing missing is time or prioritisation, you probably don't need a consultant. You need a decision to make it a priority. Consultants are expensive and they introduce coordination overhead. If the problem is solvable with an afternoon and a whiteboard, use the afternoon.

When outside perspective genuinely helps

There are three situations where outside perspective adds real value. First: when the problem is politically sensitive and the people who need to solve it are also the people with the most at stake in the outcome. Second: when the team has tried to fix it before and it reverted, which usually means the diagnosis was incomplete. Third: when the team is too close to the work to see the pattern. These are the situations where an outside eye earns its cost.

The proxy problem

The most common situation where we add value is when the stated problem is a proxy for a different problem. A team asks for help with a decision; the real issue is that the decision-making authority is unclear. A team asks for a workflow audit; the real issue is that two people have fundamentally different views of what the team is trying to do. A consultant who doesn't surface the proxy problem isn't doing the job.

How to scope a consulting engagement so it's worth the money

The most important thing you can do before hiring a consultant is write down what a successful outcome looks like. Not 'we feel better about the decision' but 'we have a written decision brief that all three co-founders have signed off on.' Specific, observable outcomes make it possible to evaluate whether the engagement delivered value. They also make the consultant's job easier.

Questions to ask before you hire anyone

Ask the consultant what they won't be able to help with. Ask them what a failed engagement looks like and what they do when that happens. Ask them for a specific example of a project that didn't go well and what they learned from it. The answers to these questions tell you more than a case study deck.

If you're not sure whether your situation is a fit for what we do, the free 20-minute intake call is the right place to start. We'll tell you honestly what we think. You can start a conversation through the contact page.