Direct answer: Before hiring an advisor or consultant, understand this rule: their role is to have the tough conversations you have been avoiding. Two patterns kill the engagement — team members who cannot handle uncomfortable truths, and internal saboteurs protecting the status quo.
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The One Rule Every Owner Needs Before Hiring An Advisor
If you hire an advisor or consultant, it is their role and responsibility to have the tough conversation with you and say what needs to be said. That is what you are hiring them for. Unfortunately, sometimes for companies, organizations, and practices, when they hire an individual to come in and say — here are some strategies, here are some problems, here are some solutions — that person gets let go. Not because they were wrong. Because they pointed out the flaws and the struggles.
This concept connects to the LEAD Model — evaluating what is actually in front of you requires being willing to hear what you would rather not hear. For the pre-hiring due diligence side, see 35 questions to ask an M&A advisor before you hire one.
The Two Patterns That Kill Advisor Engagements
There are two patterns that consistently derail advisor and consultant engagements. Recognizing them before you hire someone is the difference between getting value and burning six figures.
| Pattern | What It Looks Like | Why It Kills The Engagement |
|---|---|---|
| Tough conversation avoidance | The team or ownership will not sit with uncomfortable truth. The moment the advisor identifies a real problem, feelings get hurt and someone reaches for the emergency alarm. | The advisor is doing their job. Firing them removes the accountability the company hired in the first place. New advisor comes in, same cycle repeats. |
| Internal sabotage | Someone in the organization is protecting shenanigans, protecting people, or protecting losses. They quietly work to make sure the advisor’s plans never get implemented. | The advisor gets pushed out before any change lands. The underlying problem stays hidden. The owner concludes advisors do not work when the real problem was one saboteur. |
Pattern One — The Marketing Department Example
Picture a marketing department. There are a couple of people who work in that department. They know what the functions of the business are. They know what some of the problems are. But somebody on the team, or somebody on the management counterpart, really does not want to do something the way it needs to be done. And if anybody on the marketing team points a finger, retribution follows.
Then a consultant comes in. The consultant looks around and says — I think the problem is here. And the team internally is thinking — say it, say it, just put it out there. Because if they say it, they become the problem child. They become the person who has to have the uncomfortable conversation. There is no open line between departments. Somebody is going to get in trouble for what is not being done or what is being done the wrong way.
The company brings in the consultant. The consultant points and says — right here, we have a problem. Now feelings are hurt. Now it is uncomfortable. Now not everybody is on board with the consultant, because things just got uncomfortable.
Why A Good Advisor Warns You Upfront
A good advisor, a good consultant, will let you know early — we are going to have to work through some difficult conversations. We are going to have to work through problems. That is what I am here for. If your first move is to run to the emergency alarm and say you are fired, then we are never going to get anywhere.
The companies that hire consultant after consultant and advisor after advisor are almost always inside this pattern. Ask them what happened. “The team did not get along with them.” Now dig in. Was it that the team did not get along, or was it that the advisor had the uncomfortable conversation the ownership did not want to hear?
Pattern Two — Shenanigans And Sabotage
There are shenanigans in your office. There are shenanigans in the field. And there are people protecting shenanigans, protecting people, protecting losses, or protecting problems — because they do not really want to deal with them.
A good consultant walks in and identifies the problem. What happens next depends on the organization. Sometimes the protective manager or department head or employee raises their hand and cries foul. That is the loud pattern. What is worse is the quiet pattern — they do not raise their hand at all. They sabotage. They make sure the plans never get put in place. They cause problems for other departments. If they can make sure the advisor gets pushed out, the problem never gets solved. The problem never gets fixed.
The Coachability Test Before You Hire
Before you bring anyone in, ask two questions honestly:
- Am I coachable? — Are you actually prepared to hear feedback and act on it, or are you looking for validation dressed up as advice?
- Is my team coachable? — Same question at the team level. If the answer is no, the advisor engagement will fail regardless of how good the advisor is.
And a third question that determines whether the whole thing works: what is bigger — the mission and purpose of the company, or the person creating the sabotage? If the saboteur wins, the mission loses. The advisor cannot fix that. You have to.
The Hawaii Flight Story — Six Figures Down The Drain
I was on a flight coming back from Hawaii recently, talking with somebody about this exact pattern. They said — yeah, we hired somebody, and it really did not work out. When we pinpointed the reasons, they had two problems. Number one, the team was not on board for changes. Number two, somebody was sabotaging the consultant.
We were not talking about an insignificant sum of money. Well into six figures. And nobody ever said — here is what your problem is, here is the situation, here is what is going on. The engagement failed silently. The money was gone. The organization learned nothing except that hiring advisors “does not work” for them.
What Hiring Actually Does For You
Whether you are a business owner, practitioner, or department manager, you have to know that hiring somebody to come in does not solve all the problems. Sometimes hiring an advisor illuminates the problems you did not want to talk about. That is not a bug. That is the feature.
There are times I meet with an employee, meet with somebody on the team, and I recognize — this is the wrong person. Or they are sandbagging. Or they are not fulfilling their roles and responsibilities. My role and responsibility is to say something. My role is to say — we need to shine a spotlight on this person or this department or this project, because it is not working the way it should.
This is the same illumination principle that runs through exit strategy planning — you cannot fix what you refuse to look at.
Add This To Your Advisor Acquisition Criteria
Before you hire anyone, add these four questions to your acquisition criteria for the advisor:
- Are you willing to have tough conversations?
- Are you willing to put in the work and say the thing that needs to be said?
- Are you willing to stick around when somebody tries to sabotage the deal?
- At what point do you cut out?
If the advisor cannot answer these clearly, they will fold the moment the pressure comes. If they answer well, the next question turns around on you. The same criteria has to apply to you as the buyer of the advisory services. Are you willing to sit through the tough conversation? Are you willing to protect the advisor from the saboteur inside your own team?
The Common Patterns To Watch For
As a business owner or practitioner or department manager, here is what to watch for as the engagement unfolds:
- People cause conflict and fights because they do not want the spotlight on them
- People sabotage projects because they want to hide in the corners
- People sandbag — they say they will deliver a project, then never do, and the deadline never gets achieved
- The consultant or advisor stops coming back because there is no traction
Hopefully this does not happen. If it does, you need a resolution mechanism in place before it starts. The advisor cannot install one for you after the fact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the one rule to understand before hiring an advisor or consultant?
The one rule is that the advisor’s core role and responsibility is to have the tough conversations you have been avoiding. If you are not prepared to hear uncomfortable truth about your company, your team, or your operations, hiring an advisor will fail. Their job is to say what needs to be said.
Why do companies fire the consultants they hire?
Companies often fire consultants for pointing out flaws and struggles. The consultant does exactly what they were hired to do — identify problems and propose solutions. Feelings get hurt. The environment becomes uncomfortable. Rather than working through the discomfort, the company reaches for the emergency alarm and terminates the engagement.
What are the two patterns that derail advisor engagements?
The two patterns are tough conversation avoidance and internal sabotage. In the first, the team or ownership cannot handle uncomfortable truth and fires the advisor. In the second, someone inside the organization quietly works to make sure the advisor’s recommendations never get implemented so the underlying problems stay hidden.
How does a marketing department example show the pattern?
The team knows the problems but pointing them out internally leads to retribution. When a consultant arrives, the team wants the consultant to say what they cannot. Once the consultant points to the problem, feelings get hurt. The company that hired the consultant is now uncomfortable with the very insight they paid for.
What should you ask yourself before hiring an advisor?
Ask two questions honestly. Am I coachable? Am I actually prepared to hear feedback and act on it? Is my team coachable? Would they accept and implement advisor recommendations? If the answer to either question is no, the advisor engagement will fail regardless of how skilled the advisor is.
What is sabotage in the context of advisor engagements?
Sabotage is when someone inside the organization quietly works against the advisor’s plans. They may create problems for other departments. They may delay implementation. They may fail to provide information the advisor needs. The goal is to push the advisor out before any change lands, so the underlying problem stays protected.
What questions should be in your acquisition criteria when hiring an advisor?
Ask the advisor four questions. Are you willing to have tough conversations? Are you willing to put in the work and say the thing that needs to be said? Are you willing to stick around when somebody tries to sabotage the deal? At what point do you cut out? Clear answers signal the advisor will hold the line.
What patterns do team members use to protect themselves from consultant scrutiny?
Three common patterns. People cause conflict and fights to divert attention from themselves. People sabotage projects to hide in the corners. People sandbag — they promise deliverables and deadlines that never actually get achieved. Each pattern is designed to make the consultant give up and not come back.
Can hiring a consultant solve every business problem?
No. Hiring a consultant does not solve all the problems. Sometimes it illuminates the problems you did not want to talk about. The consultant identifies what is broken. Whether it gets fixed depends on whether the ownership and team are willing to act on the information — that part is not the consultant’s job.
What happens when the mission conflicts with the saboteur?
The core diagnostic question is — what is bigger, the mission and purpose of the company, or the person creating the sabotage? If ownership will not protect the mission over the individual, the mission loses. The advisor cannot fix that dynamic. Only the owner or leadership team can make that choice.
Full Transcript
If you hire an advisor or consultant, it is their role and responsibility to have the tough conversation with you and say what needs to be said. That is what you are hiring them for. Unfortunately, sometimes for companies, organizations, and practices, when they do hire an individual to come in and say — here are some strategies, here are some problems, here are some solutions — they are let go because they point out the flaws and the struggles. So what do you need to know about this, and why does it matter? This is a fantastic question. I am Scott Sylvan Bell, coming to you live from Consulting Secrets, on a perfect day to talk about business growth strategies, having the tough conversation, and a fantastic day to talk about you.
I am going to give you a couple of examples of how this typically goes down and what you need to know about it. One is tough conversations. Two is sabotage.
Let’s name a department. You have a marketing department. You have a couple of individuals that work in that department. They know what the functions are of the business. They know what some of the problems are. But there may be somebody on the team or somebody on the counterpart management team who really does not want to do something the way it needs to be done. If anybody on the marketing team comes out and points a finger, then there is retribution, then there are problems.
It is not uncommon for a consultant or an advisor to come in and look and go — oh, here is the problem. And the team is like — yeah, say it, say it, say it, just put it out there. Because if they say it, then they are going to be the problem child. They are the person who needs to have the conversation, because it is not an open line between departments. Somebody is going to get in trouble for what is not being done or what is being done the wrong way.
What happens is the company will bring in a consultant, bring in an advisor, and they point and say — right here, we have a problem. Now some feelings are hurt. Now it is uncomfortable. Now not everybody is on board with the consultant and advisor, because things just got uncomfortable. A good advisor, a good consultant, is going to let you know — hey, we are going to have to work through some difficult conversations. We are going to have to work through problems, because that is what I am here for. If your first thing is to run to the emergency alarm and say you are fired, we are never going to get anywhere.
One of the things I find is companies, organizations, and practices hire consultant after consultant, or advisor after advisor. What happened? Well, the team did not get along with them. Was it that the team did not get along with them, or was it that they had the uncomfortable conversation?
Be aware. If you are bringing somebody in, a good person at their role and responsibility is going to point out and say — here is what is going to happen. There is going to be conflict. How do you want to deal with it? If the only thing you are going to do is let me go and cancel my contract, we should not have this conversation. We should not continue on. We should not work together.
I have no problem working through pains and problems with difficult people, difficult situations. I have worked with a lot of difficult people, a lot of difficult situations, and we have had to work through — let’s come to a conclusion that works for everybody. Or the owner, practitioner, management team lays down the law and puts the Rudy Boo Smackdown. Now you have some decisions to make. What are you going to do when there is an uncomfortable conversation? A good consultant or advisor is going to have this tough conversation with you early on.
Let me give you another evolution of this. There are shenanigans that go on in your office. There are shenanigans that go on in the field. And there are people protecting shenanigans, or protecting people, or protecting losses, or protecting problems — because they do not really want to deal with them.
A good consultant or advisor comes in and says — there is a problem right here. And the protective manager, the protective department head, the protective employee raises their hand and cries foul. What is even worse is they do not raise their hand at all. They sabotage. They sabotage to make sure the plans never get put in place. They cause problems for other departments. Because if they can make sure that advisor or consultant is pushed out, then the problem never gets solved. The problem never gets fixed.
If you are bringing somebody in for help, one of the things you are really going to want to take a look at is — am I coachable? Is my team coachable? If there are shenanigans, what are we going to do about them? If there is going to be somebody who is going to create some sabotage or create some problem, what do we do? What is bigger — the mission and purpose of the company, or the person who is creating the sabotage? You know what needs to be done. It is just the uncomfortable conversation.
I was having a conversation on a flight with somebody about this, the other day when I was coming back from Hawaii. We were talking and they said — yeah, we hired somebody, and it really did not work out. This is what we pinpointed. They had two problems. The team was not on board for changes. And number two, somebody was sabotaging the consultant or the advisor. We are not talking an insignificant sum of money. We are talking into the six figures, well into the six figures. But nobody ever said — hey, here is what your problem is, here is the situation, here is what is going on.
For somebody who is brand new, who has never been through this — whether they are an advisor or consultant, or they are saying that they are, or whether it is a company owner or practitioner — you have to know that hiring somebody to come in does not solve all the problems. Sometimes it illuminates the ones you do not want to talk about.
There are times where I meet with an employee, I meet with somebody on the team, and I am like — this is the wrong person, or they are sandbagging, or they are not fulfilling their roles and responsibilities. My role and responsibility is to say something. My role and responsibility is to say — we need to illuminate some spotlight on this person or this department or this project, because it is not working the way it should.
If you are going to hire somebody, you have to be prepared for tough conversations. If they are unwilling to have them, this should be part of your acquisition criteria when you are looking to hire. Are you willing to have tough conversations? Are you willing to put in the work and say the thing that needs to be said? Are you willing to stick around when somebody tries to sabotage a deal? At what point do you cut out?
It is not uncommon for people to cause conflict and fights because they do not want a spotlight on them. It is not uncommon for people to sabotage a project because they want to hide in the corners. It is not uncommon for people to sandbag and say that we are going to get a project to you, and then it never happens, and that deadline never gets achieved. So the consultant or advisor never comes back.
You have to be aware, as a business owner, as a practitioner, that this happens. Even as a department manager, hopefully it does not happen, and if it does, we have some resolution.
