• You will hear part of a radio interview in which a business expert is being as

Woman: Hello! I’m very pleased to welcome into the studio today Maurice Beeston, the managing director of Laurel Consulting and an expert in the field of business consultancy. I’m sure many of you will be keen to hear his ideas in this important but difficult area. Mr Beeston, thank you very much indeed for sparing us a few moments of your valuable time.
Man: Thank you. Actually, it’s a pleasure to be here. I feel that consultancy is a very misunderstood area, and I’m always glad of any opportunity to shed a little light on it.
Woman: Why do you think it’s misunderstood? In what ways?
Man: Well, when consultants are good, they develop a company’s capabilities. But when they’re bad, they collaborate with bad managers and actually block change. Some promise great success, but there’s no way you can ensure that will happen every time. So the end result can be that a situation arises in which the profession starts to get a bad name.
Woman: I see. So what would be good practice - the ideal consultant?
Man: Mmm ... I think there are basically three... three main types or kinds of consultant. The first type is the expert, and their approach is straightforward: "I know the answer; you don’t; pay me some money and I will tell you." The second type is the process consultant who says, "I know nothing; you know everything and I will help you to exploit that." Now, these are both all right in their way, but it’s the third way which actually works best, and that’s the consulting partnership which says, "You know a lot and so do I; it’s not easy but let’s work together on solving the problems."
Woman: And is it normally easy to find a consultant who takes an approach you like?
Man: Not always. Mind you, in recent years, we’ve seen a lot more agencies coming up. This means you have a lot more choice. The agencies are focusing more on specific areas, they’re offering more tailor-made services. They haven’t got any cheaper, but what they offer is more relevant.
Woman: So that’s good news?
Man: Yes, very much so - and it’s to everyone’s benefit.
Woman: Now, how long would you say a consultancy lasts?
Man: How long is a piece of string? Some consultancy projects take many months and may even stretch into years. But these are rarities. Mostly a consultancy project will last anything up to six months. It could take days or weeks. Good consultants leave their clients as early as possible to ensure that the client does not become dependent on the consultant.
Woman: Right. And how can you choose, identify a good consultant?
Man: It’s not easy. Don’t just buy big projects. There is the temptation for executives to believe that consultants hold the answers to all known problems. Call them in and they will sort it out. Instead, it’s important to know what you want and talk to a number of firms to see which best fits your needs.
Woman: What’s the end result, the outcome of the project?
Man: Yes, well, good question - that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? The problem that many people complain about is that they are left with this huge, long report which takes days to read through. And at the end of it there’s lots of super, relevant advice, but the issue is how do you actually put that into practice, how do you make that theory work?
Woman: How do we know when we need a consultant?
Man: Most companies get consultants in at the wrong time. What you should really do is think ahead a bit. But most people are looking at their tax figures or their falling profits and so on. In other words they wait for trouble and then start calling consultants, when they ought to get then before.
Woman: Mr Beeston -
Man: Maurice
Woman: Maurice, it’s been extremely interesting talking to you. Can I just ask finally about your own plans for the future?
Man: I think I want to start getting things down on paper, especially after all these years of talking! I’m not thinking about stopping work, that’s for sure. People say why not set up your own business - but I’m too old for all that now. I want now to take some time to reflect, to record the ideas and some of the things that have happened to me during my years of working in this field.