Handyman or Expert?

A number of years ago I undertook a rather massive home improvement project with the help of some friends.  The project in question was construction of a nearly 500 square foot stone patio in my back yard.  I enlisted the help of some friends, some of whom had some experience in similar projects. The factors that I weighed in the decision came down to cost and perceived complexity (e.g., puffing out our chests and declaring our manliness we said "We Can Do It!").  There was also going to be the satisfaction of a project that I could physically and mentally participate in and achieve.

Things turned out well enough at the time, I learned a lot - most of it the hard way - had some relatively cheap manual labor at my disposal for a weekend, and impressed my girlfriend at the time with my physical stamina in shoveling load after load of crush and sand, placing stone after stone, and finishing a large project in relatively short time.

Several years later, however, I find that I've had constant repair work to do on my masterpiece, dealing with some subsidence in key areas of the stone patio and now worrying about at least one retaining wall needing an extensive redo.  Perhaps the "cheap and cheerful" way associated with my amateur handyman approach several years ago isn't leaving me with quite the legacy I hoped for??  Maybe an "expert" would have been better engaged despite the up-front cost??

So how does this story relate to leadership?  Too often I see some of the same mentality coming into play during evaluation of personal or organizational coaching, leadership development or consulting requirements.  Cost definitely comes into play as it should.  But rather than evaluating such expenses as an investment and weighing such against the hard outcomes desired there is a decided emphasis on cost-control.  A "good-enough" mentality enters the equation and a desire to either do-it-ourselves or hire a "handyman" for truly foundational work.  So can you do it yourself or hire on a non-certified coach or consultant to support your efforts?  Sure, but you might wonder if the investment of time and effort really gave you the return you required or ended up being sustained beyond your initial intense effort.  Like my home improvements, you might have been better to engage an expert at the beginning rather than engaging in constant "repairs" or investments to achieve the product or results you hoped for in the beginning.

I'm suggesting there is a leadership lesson to be learned from my home handyman approach noted above.  Leaving aside the do-it-yourself effort for now - which requires a great deal of personal or in-house skill that most don't have - how do you discern the "handyman" from the professional support you might need in coaching or consulting?  Solid track record and referral base are clearly good indications but I'm also going to recommend that you look for impeccable credentials including certification in national or international regulatory bodies.  Holding or pursuing such a credential (e.g., International Coach Federation, Canadian Association of Management Consultants) is a sign that the individual professional not only demonstrates knowledge and skill in their chosen field, but also holds themselves to the highest professional standards and are prepared to be judged according to a strong code of professional ethics.

Further, certified members of these professional associations have chosen to contribute to a broader body of knowledge, to regulate themselves and provide accountability to clients and their profession as a whole. Credential-holders complete rigorous education and practice requirements, providing testimony to their commitment to excellence.  These professionals look to protect and serve consumers of their services, measure and certify competence of their members, and inspire the pursuit of continuous development.

At the end of the day the choice of how to deal with your coaching, leadership or consulting requirements is fully in your court.  Credentials are certainly not a 100% guarantee of success but just like in home renovations they are a better bet than just looking for the cheapest bidder. As in my do-it-yourself reno, you can pay now or pay later (or both).  Make the time and investment pay off.  In this case, It's About Leadership!  And there is nothing more worthy of your investment than that which leverages all of the rest of your success - your leadership assets.
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Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
TEC Canada Chair/Executive Coach/Senior Consultant
hadubiak@wmc.ca

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.