Why external consultants are more influential than the internal team

Here is a paradox. Over the 20 years I have been an external coach and trainer, I have often discussed with other Board members in the organisation I am working with, why the CEO often listens to the external consultant more than the internal community. Why they believe our opinions seem to carry more weight than the internal opinions and solutions.

I think one of the reasons for this is because teams can spend too much time talking about what has gone wrong, is going wrong or will go wrong. They share wholeheartedly opinions on what is missing, lacking, or who is to blame. They share opinions on what other departments do to make their life hard, how poor people are at making decisions or getting things done. Many discuss that the strategy is lacking or missing and almost all spend too much time trying to impress the boss and do the things they want of them. When they do get round the table, each person is trying to share their point of view and be heard rather than obsessively pursue what can be done to move the organisation on.

Also, the trend towards learning to be more resilient and working more flexibly means work invades every part of peoples’ lives now leaving little time for recovery, play and refreshment. So, internal people get tired and sometimes resentful. One client this week reported the email from his CEO at 1am on Sunday morning asking him to meet him at 9am on that Sunday morning. Can this be okay?

This sets off a certain set of behaviours and dynamics in an organisation that the external coach or consultant has opted to not be part of. Many have voted to leave all this behind and to just join in for the fun parts of working with a business. So, when we come in, we are often uncontaminated with the dynamics of the business and more able to say what we see, what is needed and what can be done. We use more solutions focussed conversations and are incentivised to build the confidence of the CEO that the change is possible. It is my opinion that all managers should learn the craft of solutions focussed conversations to be more impactful and happier in their work. Contact Thrive if you would like to hear more about our 30-minute method. It works a treat. Say [email protected] or call 01403 243 430.