Know what you want before you get a consultant. Imagine what you would have in the end if the consultancy worked out perfectly. Keep that vision when you start to look for a consultant.
Get your board’s agreement on the hiring of a consultant and appoint an ad hoc committee to oversee the project.
Don’t become dependent on the consultant. Be sure that the project has a start and stop point.
If possible, don’t limit the consultant to recommending action. Get the consultant involved in implementing recommendations.
Be sure to fix causes, not symptoms. Do assessments, look closely at what you see and hear, then figure out the primary cause. It’s often not what you see or hear that’s the root cause of the problems, but rather it is your organization’s structures, roles, plans, etc., that cause the problem.
Adapted from Field Guide to Developing and Operating Your Nonprofit Board © Authenticity Consulting, Inc.
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