Smallbiztechnology.com suggests you
do just that unless they can answer three questions:
- What books have you recently read?
- What industry conferences have they been to?
- What tech industry relationships (and certifications) do they have?
Those questions aren't bad in and of themselves; you should satisfy yourself as to the qualifications of any contractor you hire. The justification presented for asking them, however, is terrible and exposes the number one unquestioned assumption both among these so-called "consultants" and many of the businesses they cater to. The assumption is exposed in one concise sentence in the post:
SMB Nation East took place this weekend in New Jersey and one of the big lessons learned at the 3 day event, of which I attended Friday, was the differentiation between those IT consultants who still are "only" able to fix your computers when things go wrong, but not able to provide strategic insight to help you grow your business.
Where did anyone ever get the idea that in something as complex and dynamic as information technology, the same person who is well-qualified to fix your technical problems would also be even remotely qualified to provide strategic insight into your business operations? Why would anyone imagine they could get both of those very specialized skills in a one-person package for the low-end rates that most of these people charge? It's like saying your neighborhood EMT should be able to also do heart surgery, and at the same mid-five figure salary he's already getting paid!
I suggest you put some thought first into whether you actually
have an IT consultant, or have just hired a technician. Frankly, there's nothing wrong with just hiring a technician, and by default, that is what most small businesses have done... they don't like the price tags on real consultants. Where the problem comes in is when the assumption is made, as above, that your tech janitor should be making (and that you should be listening to) strategy suggestions.
This isn't to disparage those technicians; they simply have a different focus, and different motivations, than real IT consultants. But the motivations make all the difference.
Case in point is item three on the question list: tech industry relationships and certifications. You absolutely want your technician to have certifications these days for the technologies they are working with. But consider what that means for that technician. Unless he has
all the certifications, for every technology, then what technology do you think he is going to recommend you use to solve your next business problem? And if, for whatever reason, he didn't suggest the one that was going to get him more business, what basis might he have for doing so without any certification in it?
A consultant doesn't have an investment in your choice of a given technology, because they aren't supporting it over the long run. This leaves them free to make strategic recommendations unencumbered with concerns over future revenue. Their goal can be exclusive to finding the best solution to meet your particular challenges.
If they can't do that, by all means, fire them. And ask more than three questions; you're paying top dollar, make sure you're getting the best. But don't expect them to come fix your printer. And don't expect your technician to provide you with top-flight strategic advice, and don't fire him if he doesn't give it to you. It was your mistake asking in the first place, not his in answering. If you need strategic insight to help grow your business, go find someone who is an expert in providing such advice, not someone who worked hard to get their Microsoft certification papers. An MCSE is an accomplishment, but hardly one that indicates a deep understanding of the broad panoply of technology options facing the modern business.
indigoMOONsystems
