Let Me Help You With That

It was just about time for the train to pull out of New York City's Grand Central Station. The crowd rushed me along the platform between trains until it parted around a short woman of about 70, struggling with a huge suitcase. She would take a couple of baby steps then lunge to drag the case a foot or so at a time. With a out-of-towner's innocence I instinctively said, "Let me help you with that," and reached for the handle. She eyed me suspiciously and wouldn't let go. But, after a moment, she did allow me a little room to grip the handle in front of her hand, and that's the way we held the bag as we hurried past several train cars before finding an open one. She did not release her grip until the trainman had replaced mine and hoisted the bag aboard. I'm sure she was convinced that I would have made off with her weighty possessions if she hadn't held tightly every moment.

In business, we struggle with a lot of baggage and often take pride in how well we handle it. When someone comes along to say, "I can help you with that," we may be faced with a thought process not unlike that of the little lady on the Grand Central's platform. Do I need this help? Can I afford this help? Will it change my business in ways I'm not comfortable with? Will it reduce my pride in creating this business out of my own inspiration and effort. If you are an inveterate do-it-yourselfer, these questions can loom large as you consider bringing a consultant into you club.

Do you need help? Maybe not, but you still might benefit considerably from the right kind of consultation.

Can you afford it? All things being equal, maybe it's difficult to see where the money will come from (will it delay the purchase of your kids' next round of sneakers, or cause you to put off consideration of buying your second yacht?). Usually, however, all things are not equal. The value of a consultation is in its creation of inequality by increasing financial returns to the business at a greater rate than the costs.

Will you be uncomfortable with the change? This is one for soul-searching. Are you too comfortable with the status quo of your day-to-day work? If so, you may be boring you associates and enticing you competitors. Seeking this kind of comfort may be laziness. On the other hand, you have fundamental reasons for being in business and some values larger than the business that guide the way you deal with people. In these areas it's fair to insist that a consultant work within your comfort zone.

What about pride of creation? If you built your own business from concept to success, you have every right to be proud. Bringing in expert assistance and managing it well to a higher level should only add to pride.