I was working with a client yesterday. A typical Innecto client; fast growth, young, highly dynamic. We were tussling over the development of a meaningful annual bonus scheme. Something different, not just the same old. As we discussed the many opportunities that face them - mainly about how to handle growth and the implications from a people perspective, I was reminded of a story someone told me when I started out as a consultant.
A factory is running highly effectively, delivering great quality goods at a low price. Many happy employees, many happy customers. One terrible day, the main machine breaks down. The factory stops. Sad employees, angry customers. In despair, the factory owner starts calling everyone he knows to fix the machine. He’ll pay anyone, whatever they want, just to get it going again. Eventually he finds an engineer who says he knows what the problem is. The engineer arrives. He looks at the machine, takes out a big black marker, draws a cross on the side, and produces a hammer from his bag. With one mighty swipe, he hits the machine with the hammer on the cross. After a stunned silence, the machine chokes into life again. Production starts, employees and customers are happy. The engineer rubs off the cross, packs his hammer away and presents his bill.
The factory owner looks at the bill for £10,000. He is horrified. "How can you charge me £10,000 for hitting the machine with a hammer?" he cries. The engineer pauses and agrees he’s made a mistake. He scribbles over the bill and re-writes it. The new invoice reads:
Hitting the machine with a hammer - £10
Knowing where to hit the machine with a hammer - £9,990
Total - £10,000
And that’s what consultants bring. The knowledge to predict where to hit the machine is what you are buying from us. It might not be highly visible, but it is highly valuable.
