Episode Details

156. Are You Getting the Most from Your Consultants? How to Turn Expertise into Action

Published 2 weeks ago

Description

Organizations invest thousands—and sometimes millions—of dollars in consultants with the expectation that meaningful change will follow. But too often, those investments fall short, not because of the consultant, but because of how the engagement is managed. In this episode, Renee Schulte and Jason Haglund share lessons from years of consulting with healthcare organizations, highlighting the biggest mistakes that waste valuable time and resources. From unclear meeting agendas and missing decision-makers to chasing unsolvable problems and failing to follow through, they discuss practical strategies that help organizations maximize every consulting engagement and create lasting results.

In this episode, you will be able to:

Why hiring a consultant is only the first step—and why follow-through determines success.
The most common ways organizations waste consultant time and resources.
How meeting structure, attendance, and accountability can dramatically improve outcomes.
Why consultants should challenge assumptions instead of simply validating existing beliefs.
Practical strategies for keeping projects on track through timelines, data, and measurable goals.

The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:11 – Introduction & Why Consultant Time Matters

00:03:06 – Billions Spent on Consulting with Limited Measured Impact

00:03:28 – The Biggest Consultant Time Wasters

00:07:03 – Why Organizations Sometimes Want Validation Instead of Truth

00:09:00 – The Importance of Agendas and Structured Meetings

00:12:05 – Getting the Right Decision-Makers in the Room

00:14:46 – Avoiding "Unsolvable" Conversations That Stall Progress

00:18:20 – Using Data Instead of Opinions to Drive Decisions

00:24:10 – Breaking Down Data-Sharing Barriers

00:29:23 – Using Timelines to Keep Consulting Projects Moving

00:30:00 – Final Takeaways & Closing Thoughts