Hiring a Consultant Shouldn’t Be Hard — Here’s How I Make It Easy

You know what it's like when you need a consultant, and you know what you need when working with them...but what about that gray space in the middle? 

The process of acquiring the right consultant to support you can feel overwhelming, especially with everything else that you have on your plate.

And yes, it can be overwhelming with some organizations, but I try to make it as simple as possible for you.

After all, that's one of the big advantages of working with a small business that's owned by a relationships-first woman!  

This article is meant to provide you with an overview of the process for that gray space in the middle, at three levels, depending on how much of a details nerd you are. :)

• 60,000 foot level: For those leaders who want a high level idea of what we'll do -- we'll worry about the details later.
• 10,000 foot level: For those leaders who want to understand the whole process, but not be burdened with every detail.
• Sea level: For those leaders who find confidence, clarity, and calm in the details -- after all, that's where the nuance lives! 

60,000 Foot Level of Cresta Solution's Discovery Process

At this very high level, you can see where you would plug into the process. All the other steps are optional or done by good ol' me.

1. Discovery Call with Megan Mozina

For what is usually a 30-minute virtual call, you show up for a chat so that I can better understand:

• What the problem / challenge is that you're trying to solve. For instance, is there a big initiative hanging over your team's head, and you need outside help so that your team can focus on it and get it implemented? Do you need a facilitator for a summit or team retreat? Is a strategic plan a giant, looming item on your To Do List? Do I have the skills and experience to be the strategic partner that you need?
• What your timeline is. Do I have the bandwidth and availability?
•  If we're a good fit. Do our values align? Do we see the same path forward for your organization?

2. Proposal Review Call with Megan Mozina

Based on what I learn in the Discovery Call, I write a custom proposal for you, and we meet to review it. I usually provide two or three options with varying levels of support from me and investment from you. That way you can make an informed decision that's not all or nothing. We want to find something that works for both of us, and choice is a big part of that. 

3. We Sign the Agreement

When we know what we want to do, I'll write an Agreement and Statement of Work (unless your org would prefer to provide one). You can sign it via my e-signature platform, by literally printing-signing-scanning-emailing it, or anything in between. 

4. We Start Collaborating!

We set our initial Success Sessions, which as meeting during which we plan our Objectives, what success looks like for you, how we're going to go about it, what risks and obstacles to anticipate, etc. Basically, we determine how we're going to approach the work to solve your problem/challenge. 

10,000 Foot Level of Cresta Solution's Discovery Process 

In this diagram you'll see the four light teal shapes with icons above them, which correspond to the four steps in the 60,000 foot view above. 

This 10,000 foot view provides insight into the full process. A few points to highlight from this level:

1. Are we the right fit for each other?

There are two main decision points and also some looping back around. One decision point illustrates that I might not be right for you, and you might not be right for me. We need to make sure:

• That I have the skills, experience, and availability to help you solve your problem / challenge.
• That we're values-aligned. (For instance, I believe in empowering bright people, that we can be productive and creative, and that DEI is a good thing. If you don't, we won't be a good match.)
• That working together would be effective and productive -- not to mention enjoyable and even fun!

If we're not sure if we're a right fit, we'll schedule another Discovery Call to get to know each other better.

If we know we're not a right fit for each other at this moment for this challenge, I'll try to refer you to someone else or we'll just go our separate ways, with me wishing you well.

2. Does what I proposed work for you?

Another decision point is regarding which of the 2-3 options I suggested in the proposal work for you. 

• Yes: If a particular one aligns with your needs, budget, timeline, etc., then you let me know, and we move forward to the agreement.
• Not Yet: If none of the options 100% aligns with what you need/want but we're getting there, then we chat about it to find alignment, and I provide a fresh doc with what might work. We are collaborators -- it's not all or nothing with me!
• Not Now: Then, like at the other decision point, I'd try to refer you to someone else, or we bid each other adieu.  

Sea Level of Cresta Solution's Discovery Process 

While this version will make some people's eyes cross, it is nerdily delicious for others. 

All of the points above apply to this "Sea Level" version, though a few points worth highlighting for the details-inclined:

1. Discovery Form

After you book a Discovery Call with me, we'll email you a Discovery Form, which is a live Google Doc in which you can provide more background about why you're reaching out to me. If you have the time and space to respond to it -- splendid! That will save us time during the call. If you don't -- no worries! We'll dig in together. The point of sending it ahead is primarily to help you feel prepared and to make the best use of our meeting time. It's also a document to which we can return to make sure we're honoring what you set out to address.

2. No Homework

I tend to work with leaders who are extremely busy with a lot on their plates, and having to sit down to review a written proposal document on their own...is not effective. No homework for you! 

I've found it's much easier and more efficient to set aside 15-30 minutes to go over the proposal together for the first time on a video call. Having me walk through it with you on a shared screen allows you to ask questions in real time and get immediate answers, rather than having to wonder, type up questions, email them to me, and wait for long written responses. 

Getting your immediate reaction to anything from word choice to proposed solutions allows me to send you a final PDF for you and your colleagues to review, which is what I do immediately following our meeting. That's when you get the homework, I suppose. ;)

3. Invoicing

Every org has a different process for invoicing.

Smaller companies and nonprofits just want an emailed PDF invoice and my W-9. Easy peasy, check's in the mail.

Then those darling higher education or medical institutions, they have what we call "special" processes. Usually I need to become a vendor through a complicated process of getting a Certificate of Insurance from my insurance provider and maybe even a certified letter from my bank. They also have the most unfavorable payment terms to small businesses and repeatedly email me offers to pay me less, but sooner. I'm used to it, my friend. Don't feel bad!

I know the drill for the whole spectrum of invoicing, but guess what -- you don't have to! You just need to connect me with your colleague who is in charge of paying invoices, and we'll go merrily on our way. Although if you're this deep into this article, you're also likely the type of person who would want to be copied on every one of those emails. I see you, I value you, and, yes, I will CC you.

Making it easy for you

Regardless of if you prefer the 60,000 foot, 10,000 foot, or sea level view, it's important for you to have some level of awareness about the process of acquiring an outside strategic partner.

I try to make it as easy as possible so that you can get the support you need. 

The leaders with whom I work are busy, but they're doing big things for their industries and communities, so I want you to be able to focus on being a leader and for me to be able to bring my skills, expertise, and energy to our partnership to make big things happen for you.

Getting started

To get started, your first step would be to book a Discovery Call with me here. 

If you're not quite ready for that, feel free to get to know me better from a distance by joining my e-newsletter or following me on LinkedIn.

Looking forward to it!

About Megan E. Mozina (she/her)

As Owner and Principal of Cresta Solutions, I serve as a strategic partner to purpose-driven leaders when they need their teams to innovate and collaborate in order to deliver on strategic change initiatives. To get there, I serve as a facilitator, consultant, and executive coach who leverages expertise in Creative Problem Solving, Team Building, Organizational Change Management, and Strategic Initiatives to ensure my clients get innovation-focused results. I bring over fifteen years of diverse experiences with purpose-driven organizations across four continents. To ensure that changes work and goals are achieved, I use my facilitation superpower to supercharge team collaboration and output. 

I hold a Masters from The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education & Human Development and a Bachelors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I am certified in Change Management, Strategic Planning, and Creative Problem Solving (FourSight®), with additional formal training in Lean Process Improvement, Project Management, and People Management. I regularly present at regional and international conferences on topics such as facilitation, change management, and project leadership. I’m proud to have been a teacher in South Korea and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras.

I’ve lived in five countries, so while I bring my Midwestern friendliness, work ethic, and accent everywhere I go, I see the world through a global perspective. I consume dark chocolate daily, can talk about books all day, and think that Lake Michigan might be my soul mate.

Learn more about my story here: https://www.crestasolutions.com/about.