Here are 3 counter intuitive things you may want to ponder about the OD profession.
1) Pricing
Start at a reasonable price, prove your value and over the years, adjust your price structure? Wrong. Once a company has paid you $100 dollars an hour for what you do, they will never pay your $5000 dollars a day. And, the more a clients pays, the more value is perceived in what you deliver, as long you are in the general direction of addressing the clients’ needs.
2) Entry Point
Start with middle management and work your way up? Wrong. Consulting is like the British TV series Upstairs, Downstairs, i.e., highly stratified and class based. If you start with the plebeians, you may well stay there.
3) Results
Ensure that results can be measured? Wrong.OD provides clear and tangible results, which are apparent to all, although they may not be measureable with a yardstick. Furthermore, often there is a downturn before things get better and too much obsession with measurement may be used to sideline an OD effort, especially by HR and Training who (if unprofessional) will feel threatened. If OD is working its tricks, everyone will know it.
Just the right length in emphasis. Bravo!
You ask for us to sign-up for updates if we like the article. when I try to sign-up, it says you have deactivated memberships via email?? Confusing as I did enjoy the article and can surely see its relevance in OD – particularly to those just entering the field who may think they know what they are doing.
Charlie
Thanks for the heads up that subscription service was not working.
I deleted the service at the bottom of each post; now, on the left of each post there is a subscription service that hopefully works.
allon
Absolutely spot-on, Allon!
brilliantly put.
These comments really helped me when I first got into consultant work. When is the right time to increase your rates if you have been charging out the same for a number of years?
Warm Regards
Andrew