My first consulting project involved me working with multiple consultants. I believe there were around 8-9 of us.

In one incident, the client informed us that (despite requesting our deliverables and invoices be sent in a timely manner), they have other projects they’re working on. From multiple interactions with various staff, lack of clarity on internal protocols, and more, to say it was a challenge is an understatement, and it showed me how difficult it could be being a consultant.

It’s been a while since I’ve touched on a consulting-specific topic, and this month’s Ask Nicole touches on something I’ve been noticing more.

Why do organizations hire consultants? Specifically, why do they hire multiple consultants at the same time?

From a practical standpoint, consultants are hired because staff capacity is maxed out, and it can be financially feasible to hire a consultant as opposed to onboarding a full or part time staff member.

Also, consultants are viewed as a strategic resource to address specific organizational needs and can serve as an objective sounding board.

When a client informs me of other consulting projects happening in tandem, I’ll ask if my work aligns with what they’re doing and if I’m expected to interact with them in any way.

Sometimes, client organizations have a general sense of how all this will work. But sometimes, they haven’t thought about it.

Not only haven’t they discussed whether the consultants should engage with each, they may not have discussed their expectations for how staff engage with all of these external people either.

More funding + less staff = desire to hire consultants. What makes the most sense for your organization may be based on where your current circumstances.

But what happens when an organization realizes they’ve hired too many consultants?

A year or so before leaving my old agency, I conducted an intake assessment with a new client. They were in their early twenties and presented as a young man. They were soon assigned to my caseload, and after a few appointments together, they arrived unannounced to the office and asked for me.

When I got the call from the receptionist, I didn’t recognize the client’s name, and after combing through my electronic records, I couldn’t find them in our electronic charts.

The client somehow knew my name and insisted with the receptionist that I was her social worker. After speaking with my supervisor, we both walked to the waiting area.

As we got closer to the waiting area, I saw a young woman standing at the reception desk. She turned to looked at me and waived.

And I realized who she was.

After we sat down at my desk, I said, “Well…you look differently from the last time I saw you.”

She laughed, saying, “I wanted to get to know you first before I felt comfortable showing you who I really am.”

The client was a young transgender woman, and at this meeting she presented as such and shared her transition story with me.

This was one example of many I experienced, where the key takeaway was understanding that important information may not be revealed at the onset.

When we look at our familial, social, work, and romantic relationships, some people know certain information compared to others.

But at the start of my social work career, this frustrated me, as it felt I had to do a lot of digging in order to provide appropriate care.

But you can’t rush trust building.

How I engage with client organizations today is pretty similar to how I engaged with individual clients.

And as a consultant, you won’t know how the relationship with the client organization will go until you’re on the project. And like the takeaway above, important information may not be revealed initially.