I am a big fan of Seth Godin, and I read his blog a lot. He has a unique way of putting things and always touches on unique issues and concepts.
Read the post, its great. It got me thinking.
When I have a second rate resource, who do I send them to?
My oldest and most loyal clients because "they'll understand", or my newer clients because they are not as important as clients who have been working with me for longer?
What's the maximum profit scenario from this situation.
His point, as brilliant as it was obvious. Don't have a worst resource.
No client deserves to get the worst consultant, the worst technical resource, the worst trainer or the worst facilitator. And if they do - then think about dropping them from the client list.
Poor resources tarnish the brand of service consultants. They contribute to lost credibility, reduced political capital, reductions in the trust quotient, and often end up costing money. Why?
Because if they get thrown off site then you need to hold them in an unbillable state, replace them, and probably put in extra effort to try to patch up a weakened relationship.
This doesn't mean always send the best. Only a few can be "the best". But it does mean send good people, from the "A" side, everytime.
Training, mentoring, selection, refusing work, systemization, pre-deployment preparations. All useful strategies against falling into this fatal trap. Trust is hard won and easily lost.
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